To Be Or Not To Be
by River2027
Summary: Sequel to “Wherefore Art Thou, John Connor?”. John and Cameron's school field trip to Canada turns into a nightmare for John as he is forced to deal with Riley and Cameron's constant fighting, and ultimately having to choose between them. John/Cameron
1. We Should Move to Canada

**Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles**

title: To Be Or Not To Be

author: River2027

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Terminator

setting: sequel to "Wherefore Art Thou", set after "Brothers of Nablus"

genre: drama/adventure

rating: T

warning: This is the sequel to "Wherefore Art Thou, John Connor". If you have not read it, you may be confused. Spoilers for "Brothers of Nablus"

summary: Sequel to "Wherefore Art Thou". John and Cameron go on a class field trip to Canada. Unknown to the Connors, Cromartie has learned their aliases and tracked down their school, learning of their Canadian vacation. John/Cameron

_Author's note: Okay, I think I've finally got this story ready. Took a little longer than I thought due to Thanksgiving vacation. Thanks for being patient with me. :) I want to thank everyone who read "Wherefore Art Thou" and asked for this sequel. Chronologically, it's set after "Brothers" since Cromartie is still alive (as Cromartie, not John Henry), and Riley is still just a normal girl without a secret agenda. _

_Special thanks to LittleAlbatross. You suggested telling what happened when Riley got out of the closet, which inspired part of this chapter._

_I also want to thank King Steve for suggesting Riley's extended stay in the closet._

**Chapter One:**

**We Should Move to Canada**

John Connor had been careful not to miss English class again. Even though his participation in the school's production of _Romeo and Juliet_ had prevented him from failing, he still wasn't about to take any chances.

Besides, he had to keep an eye on Cameron, who had spontaneously enrolled in _all _of his classes under her former alias, Phillips.

Riley still held a sore spot for Cameron ever since John's Terminator protector had locked her in the props closet the night of the performance. Of course, not only had Cameron locked her in, but she'd purposely forgot to let her _out. _Ms. Darbus had found her late that night during the reception when she went to put some props back. Riley had been more than a little ticked and John had felt a little guilty for not remembering to make Cameron release her…

_Everyone had attended the reception after the performance. John had actually been surprised that his anti-social mother and uncle had agreed to attend. Cameron had tried a cookie and Derek…well, Derek was just happy to be eating something besides pancakes for dinner…_

_John had still been on an emotional high from his onstage experience with Cameron. So, naturally, he hadn't even given Riley's whereabouts a second thought. Not until she had stormed in with Ms. Darbus._

_Being Riley, the first thing she did was stalk over to Cameron, scowling with resentment. "Thanks for locking me in."_

"_You're welcome," Cameron stated._

_John rolled his eyes, but then Riley turned her angry gaze on him instead. "You didn't even think to come look for me?"_

_John instantly felt defensive. "I was onstage! What could I have done?"_

"_How about after? I was in there for four hours!" Riley shouted. "You didn't even wonder where I was?"_

_John hesitated. He was at a loss to explain how he had forgotten about her. Was it because he was still focused on Cameron, a _machine, _rather than his living, breathing, very angry human friend? "I…I don't know…"_

_Cameron was looking from Riley to John, apparently analyzing their behavior. "Are you threatening John?" she asked Riley._

"_What are you gonna do about it?" Riley countered angrily. Cameron took a menacing step towards her, and John quickly grabbed Riley's wrist and led her towards the refreshment table._

"_Okay, let's not get into this," he said, trying to placate Riley. "It wouldn't end well, trust me."_

_Riley glared at him, then back at Cameron. "Why? You don't think I could take her? I'm a brave spooky ninja, remember? You agreed with me."_

_John shook his head. "And she's a psychotic killer-woman. Remember what I told you about the mood swings? Violence would ensue, trust me."_

_Riley seemed to have calmed down a little. Calm, as in still seething, but no longer inclined to bite his head off. "I thought you were different, John."_

"_Hey, I'm sorry, okay?"_

"_Sorry isn't good enough John. You left me locked in a closet."_

_John threw up his hands. "It's not like _I _locked you in!"_

"_No, but your weirdo adopted sister did." _

It's not like I could have stopped her, _John thought to himself. He took a deep breath. "Riley…"_

_She held up a hand, cutting off any further attempt to make amends. "I have to go." _

_John had felt hopeless as he watched her walk away. _

_That night, he had lain in his bed, simply staring up at the ceiling and thinking. Even after Sarah had told him off in the car, Derek had continued to berate John when they had finally arrived home. His uncle had insisted on reminding John that Cameron wasn't human, how she wouldn't _ever_ be human. He'd tried to convince John that she had been merely acting, nothing more._

_John had fought him passionately, but he realized it was a lost cause. Derek would never change his mind concerning Cameron._

_But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that his uncle was right. Cameron hadn't displayed any different emotion or behavior towards him since the play, at least none that he'd seen, and John began to wonder if his uncle was right about Cameron; he began to wonder if her acting that night was just…acting…_

"Mr. Baum."

The voice shook John from his thoughts and he looked up to see Ms. Darbus standing right in front of his desk, her eyes boring into him.

"Would you kindly remind the class what I just said?" she asked.

John felt his face flush and he looked down at his notebook, only to realize he hadn't taken any notes.

"Uh, no," he replied.

Ms. Darbus sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "I see now would be an excellent time to discuss the extra credit opportunity since some of us are about to fail the test…"

John felt several eyes on him and he sunk lower in his seat. Cameron was observing him from the next row over. She was wearing her favorite leather jacket, the purple one she'd been so intent on getting back from the guys who robbed their house.

_There's one to run by Derek, _he thought. _You say Terminators can't form attachment, look at Cameron with that stupid jacket. _He wondered if she had felt any attachment towards him.

"In response to the amazing production of Romeo and Juliet," Ms. Darbus began. "And especially to the incredible, heart-wrenching performances of John Baum and Cameron Phillips…"

John didn't miss the death-glare Riley shot at Cameron.

"I have decided that we will take a class trip," Ms. Darbus finished. John raised his eyebrows. A field trip for extra credit?

"What kind of class trip?" Jason Reynolds asked. "Does it have anything to do with learning?"

"We will be going to Stratford, Canada to watch Shakespearean plays."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a good time will be had by all," she muttered sarcastically.

Cameron had perked up, looking interested, and John remembered what she'd said about moving to Canada. He held back a smile. _How's that for irony?_

"Why Canada?" he asked.

Cameron answered instead. "William Shakespeare was born 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The Canadian city, Stratford is named after his birthplace and there is a famous theater located there where many of his dramas are performed."

"Very good, Ms. Phillips," Ms. Darbus said, pleased. "At least _someone_ was paying attention in my class. Anyway, this trip will not be a requirement, but I will reward a great deal of extra credit to anyone who participates. And, believe me, some of you need it." She directed her gaze to John.

"Hey, you said if I did the play that I would pass," John countered.

"No, I said you would definitely fail if you did_ not_," Ms. Darbus corrected. "You have still not redeemed yourself as far as schoolwork goes. But at least your attendance has improved."

John scowled and sat back in his desk, arms folded.

Going away to Canada? His mom was so not going to approve…

********

"No. It's too dangerous."

John sighed. He had seen this coming. "Mom, come on," he protested. "It's only for six days. And I really need that extra credit."

Sarah shook her head again, signaling the end of the discussion. "It's not safe."

"Not safe from whom?" John protested. "Cromartie will never look for me in Canada! I'm safer there than I am here!"

Cameron nodded her agreement. "I told you we should move to Canada."

"So you're saying there aren't any Terminators in Canada?" Sarah questioned.

"There are," Cameron replied. "But they have no directive to hunt John. They don't know what he looks like."

John nodded. "And again, I say, awesome!"

"Remember the other part of that equation?" Sarah countered. "If they find out who you are, they know what to do."

"Mom, they won't find out," John tried. "How could they find out?"

"You don't know how many Terminators Skynet has sent back to find you. Cromartie could have a way of contacting others. And if he finds out you're going to Canada…And did you forget the Triple 8 who was sent back for Martin Bedell? Or for Dr. Sherman? There could be a Terminator stationed in Canada too."

"Cameron'll be with me," John objected. "I'll be safe!"

Sarah's furious eyes snapped up and John instantly felt foolish. "I know," he muttered. "No one is ever safe." The Connor family motto…

"Come on Sarah," Derek spoke up. "Let him go. We'll keep busy here. Any Tin Cans in Canada probably won't be able to find him anyway."

"Cameron found him," Sarah replied. "Cromartie found him."

"They were looking for him," Derek countered. He took a step closer. "You have to let him go. John's not a little boy anymore. He has to cut loose, learn to stand on his own two feet. He needs some space."

John met his mother's gaze. "You say you want me to have a normal life. Now do you understand why I don't believe you?"

Sarah looked away.

Everyone was silent for a moment, awaiting the verdict, John keeping his eyes trained on his mother, Derek looking from John to Sarah, and Cameron curiously watching all three of them.

Finally Sarah spoke, "You have to promise me that Cameron will be with you at all times."

A small smile lit John's face. "I promise."

Sarah shifted her gaze to Cameron. "Keep an eye on him. Make sure he's safe at all times."

"No one is ever—."

Sarah scowled. "Don't use my own maxim against me, Tin Miss. You just keep him as safe as possible."

"I swear."

******

When the day of the trip rolled around, John was beginning to feel excited. Six days to be a normal kid, to hang out with his friends, to get away from it all. Six days where he wouldn't have to worry about the fate of mankind hanging on his shoulders.

Cameron loaded their suitcases and John brought the carry-on aboard the bus. They'd decided to share his backpack since Cameron didn't need anything besides clothes. John had filled it with junk food, his cell phone, and money. He'd managed to talk Cameron into leaving the 9mm at home, saying that it would cause a mess of problems when they tried to cross the border.

Cameron soon joined him inside the bus, sliding past several other students who were getting situated in their own seats.

"This is unsafe," she complained, studying the bus seats as she sat down next to John. "There are no safety harnesses."

"Seat belts? No, it's a bus."

"That's unsafe."

John rolled his eyes. "I can't help that."

Riley brushed past John's seat, refusing to meet his gaze. John sighed. How hard could it be to maintain relationships? Riley couldn't stay mad at him forever could she?

Ms. Darbus quickly called out attendance. There were twenty-four students participating in the trip. As the bus began rolling out of the parking lot, John leaned back in his seat.

"How long is this going to take?" he asked Cameron.

"If we go the posted speed limit, approximately thirty-six hours, four minutes. Without stopping for food."

"We're not stopping for the night halfway or anything?"

"No. Ms. Darbus will eventually take over the driving," Cameron replied. "We don't have money to stay at a hotel. And it would take much longer to reach our destination."

"You'd think the school would have rented us a charter bus or something," John grumbled. He glanced back at Riley, who was sitting alone two rows behind, staring out the window. "I'm gonna go talk with Riley okay?"

He didn't miss the frown that flashed across Cameron's face, but to his surprise, she didn't say anything.

"What?" he asked. "You're not gonna lecture me about her being a 'security risk'?"

Cameron kept her eyes forward. "No one likes a nag."

John gazed at her quizzically, but merely nodded. "Yeah."

"What am I supposed to do while you are talking with Riley?"

John shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you could read the dictionary or something."

Cameron started to reach for their backpack, but John caught her hand. "Wait, you actually brought the _dictionary_ on our field trip?"

Cameron looked at him blankly. "I don't sleep."

"So you've said. But you can't read it in front of people. You'll look like a freak."

"What should I read then?"

"Don't we have any other books? The Wizard of Oz or something?"

Cameron looked away. "No."

John tried to gauge her reaction. "Does the Wizard of Oz bother you?"

Cameron didn't reply. John leaned back, confused at her reaction. He hadn't considered the possibility that Cameron would dislike the reference. Did she compare herself to the Tin Man? Did she know she didn't have a heart?

Cameron kept staring out the window, and John hesitantly left her side and walked back to where Riley sat alone.

*******

Jessica Duncan strolled down the hall toward her locker, catching sight of a tall stranger walking into the school. He looked vaguely familiar, like from a TV show or something. She shook it off. _Everyone had a twin, right?_

The stranger stopped at the first student in reach and stated in a dull monotone, "I'm looking for John Baum."

The kid shook his head helplessly, and the man instantly moved on to the next kid. "I'm looking for John Baum."

Jessica stepped forward. "John Baum? The guy who played Romeo? He's in my English class. He's way intense. I hear his mom's a complete mental case."

The stranger cocked his head, staring at her in a way that was slightly unnerving. "Where is he?"

"He went on that Canada trip," Jessica explained. "They left about an hour ago. You just missed them."

"Canada?" the man repeated.

Jessica stared at him again. _This guy is a nut…_"Yeah, Stratford for some Shakespeare thing. It sounded totally boring, so I didn't go…"

"Is this him?" The man held up a black and white photo that looked like it was pulled from a security camera. Was this guy a cop? Jessica nodded slowly. The man took out a second one.

"Do you know this girl?"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah, that's his weirdo adopted sister, or something like that. Cameron Phillips."

The man quickly replaced the photos and plastered on a fake smile. "Thank you for your time."

He quickly hurried off, leaving Jessica confused.

*******

Cromartie sat silently at his computer, uploading the photos of John Connor and the female cyborg.

He swiftly located the computer contact information for a T-888 near the Canadian border. Its primary mission was to find and destroy one of John Connor's future allies.

He quickly transmitted the two photos to the Triple 8, along with the following instructions:

JOHN CONNOR. Alias: JOHN BAUM

CAMERON PHILLIPS – FEMALE CYBORG, CLASS TOK715

LOCATION: LEAVING LA COUNTY FOR STRATFORD, CANADA

MISSION OBJECTIVE:

TERMINATE

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_author's note: I'd actually written this part before "Brothers of Nablus" premiered, so to me it was kind of ironic when Cam said "we should move to Canada". Anyway, I hope you guys like it. Cromartie's POV isn't exactly as good as I would have liked, but it is really hard to write a Terminator's viewpoint, and I have great respect for those of you who can do it accurately. _


	2. End of the Road

_Author's note: Whoa, sorry about the mistake in Shakespeare's birthplace. I'm American, what can I say? My Canadian history is limited. When my English class went to Canada, our teacher said he was born in Stratford, but she probably meant Stratford, England. Sorry about that. _

_Alive inside the Cuckoo's Nest: Again, sorry for disgracing your homeland. Thanks for pointing that out. I was happy to hear you're a fan of my other stories. Thanks! _

_King Steve: Don't worry. There will be lots of ticking Riley off in the chapters to come. She'll come to learn that you don't mess with jealous killing cyborgs. :) _

**Chapter Two:**

**End of the Road**

Riley hadn't spoken much, despite John's attempt to make amends, and he'd ended up playing some card games with Jason Reynolds and some of the other guys in his class. Now the boys were watching movies on Jason's portable DVD player, and Riley was asleep in her row, so John had climbed back up to sit next to Cameron. "Where are we now?"

"Denver, Colorado." came the reply. "We still have twenty-one hours and thirty-four minutes to go."

"We should be stopping to eat soon," John said, hearing his stomach rumble.

"You should not be hungry," Cameron stated. "You had a whole bag of Cheetos."

John shrugged. "That was two hours ago."

"What did Riley say?"

John pursed his lips. "She's still not exactly forgiven me. No thanks to you."

Cameron cocked her head. "I am not responsible for Riley's emotions."

"No, you just made them worse," John remarked coolly. "The least you could have done was let her out of the closet. Like, after the show was over."

Cameron was silent once more and John sighed, leaning his head back against the seat.

"We should have taken that exit," Cameron spoke up. John opened his eyes again.

"What?"

"We missed the exit."

Up front, Ms. Darbus let out a breath angrily. "I told you to bring the Tom-Tom!"

Cameron looked to John, confused. "Who's Tom-Tom?"

"It's a GPS," John explained. "Global Positioning Satellite. It's a mini computer that helps the driver navigate."

"I can help navigate," Cameron said.

John looked up front to where the bus driver and Ms. Darbus were still arguing. "Yeah, I bet you can."

"But I'm not a Tom-Tom."

John sighed. "Then you can be a Cam-Cam."

Cameron stood up abruptly and walked up to the front. John poked his head out into the aisle, watching her.

"I can help navigate," Cameron was saying.

Ms. Darbus looked up at her hopefully. "Do you have a Tom-Tom?"

"No. I'm a Cam-Cam."

John rolled his eyes and Ms. Darbus furrowed her brow. "A what?"

"John said it first," Cameron replied evenly, staring out the window. "Turn here."

The driver turned and Ms. Darbus soon realized that they were back on track. She looked up at Cameron, surprised and in awe. "How do you know exactly where to go?"

John held his breath, about to run up and intervene, but thankfully Cameron merely replied, "I've always wanted to move to Canada."

"Why?"

"It's safer."

Ms. Darbus raised an eyebrow. "Safer?"

John quickly hurried to the front before Cameron could reply. "Safer for the environment," he improvised. "They recycle."

Ms. Darbus looked from John to Cameron suspiciously. Apparently feeling the need to show Ms. Darbus that John's answer was indeed correct, Cameron smiled slightly and said, "Go green."

Ms. Darbus appeared mystified, but she didn't question Cameron's motives.

**********

John walked back up to the front of the bus, where Cameron sat in the navigator's seat, her eyes focused on the road. "How's the Cam-Cam holding up?" he asked.

"I'm holding up," Cameron replied simply. "We still have twenty one hours of driving."

John turned to Ms. Darbus. "Are we stopping for food soon?"

Ms. Darbus gazed down the highway. "Are there any food stops at this next exit?"

John looked, squinting at the signs, but couldn't see far enough.

"There's a McDonalds," Cameron said.

Ms. Darbus looked amazed. "Wow, you have excellent vision, Ms. Phillips."

Cameron smiled slightly. "Yes. I have 20-20." She looked back out. "It has a playground."

"Great," John said sarcastically. "That's just what we need."

"Take this exit," Cameron said to the bus driver.

John made his way back to his seat, grabbing his backpack and taking out two five dollar bills. The bus finally came to a halt in the McDonald's parking lot and John stepped off the bus with Cameron.

Jason climbed down after John and his eyes lit up when he saw the building. "Ooh, sweet, a playground!"

He started towards it and Cameron turned to John with a smug smile. "I chose well."

They entered the restaurant and John stood next to Cameron in the line, handing her a five dollar bill. She took it, staring in confusion.

"I don't need food," she protested.

John rolled his eyes. "You have to get something," he said in a hushed tone. "People will think you're weird."

"People already think I'm a freak."

He hesitated. "That's not true. People loved you in Romeo and Juliet. You were…incredible."

Cameron met his gaze. "That doesn't mean they don't think I'm a freak. Riley thinks I'm a freak."

"Why do you care what Riley thinks?"

"Because you care what Riley thinks."

John opened his mouth and closed it when he saw Riley shuffle up beside him. Cameron turned away and ordered a small salad.

When she was handed it, she turned it over, analyzing it, looking almost disgusted.

Riley cocked an eyebrow. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said she wasn't into food…"

"Yeah," John agreed. He wasn't sure what to make of Riley's behavior. At least she wasn't acting hostile towards him or Cameron anymore. For now.

He turned to the cashier. "I'd like a double bacon cheeseburger with fries."

When he was handed his food, Cameron stared at it.

"This food has high levels of fat, sodium, and ---."

John held up a hand to cut her off. He was starving and she wasn't going to deprive him of his meal, no matter how unhealthy it was. "I really don't care right now. I'm hungry and those Cheetos wore off an hour ago."

"This is unhealthy," Cameron said, appearing worried. "You could experience--."

"Well what am I supposed to eat?" John demanded.

"A salad is a more beneficial choice for a meal. You can have mine."

She held it out to him, but John pushed it away. "I don't want your salad, okay? This is just food. It's not gonna kill me."

"Sarah told me to keep you safe…"

"She meant keep me safe from…" he paused, realizing several of his classmates were in hearing range. "..them…" Words like 'Terminator' tended to draw attention.

"She said to keep you as safe as possible," Cameron corrected. "That includes food consumption."

John gritted his teeth. His patience was wearing thin from his lack of food. "Listen, I _am_ going to eat here. I can eat whatever I want. So, unless my life is in physical danger or if I'm being physically threatened, I don't want to hear anything else."

Cameron's pace slowed and John left her behind, moving to sit at Riley's table. Cameron seemed to take the hint and went and sat alone.

Riley didn't say much when John sat down, and he found his gaze drawn to Cameron's lone figure. A pang of guilt seized him. _What am I doing? _He'd been so sure he was falling for Cameron after the night of the play. What had convinced him otherwise? Was it Derek's insisting that she was a machine? Was it Sarah who constantly reminded him of her status as merely his protector? Was it Riley, who had developed such a keen dislike of Cameron?

Or was it Cameron herself, having displayed no other emotion that would convince John otherwise?

Maybe it was him. Maybe he just wasn't ready to face the fact that he was in love with a robot.

John watched as Ms. Darbus went over to sit next to Cameron, looking cheerful as usual. She tried to start a conversation with Cameron, but the Terminator had turned back into her usual unresponsive self. She looked John's way…once…and he winced, realizing what was happening.

By trying to patch things up with Riley, he was pushing Cameron away.

************

"Here we are at the Ambassador Bridge," Ms. Darbus announced. "We'll be having a border check soon, so get your passports ready."

Cameron had abandoned her post as navigator and was now back sitting with John. She looked out across the water and a worried look crossed her features.

"What?" John asked.

"A bridge is not a very tactical location," she stated. "It's an easy ambush point."

John sighed. "No one knows we're here."

"We don't know that."

John scowled. "Why do you have to be so negative? Can't you just enjoy the ride?"

"I'm not negative," Cameron replied calmly. "I'm cautious. I can't let anything happen to you."

John leaned against the window as the bus approached the border patrol. As a cop boarded the bus, John tried not to feel nervous. No cop up here would question his passport; he had nothing to worry about.

He handed the patrol officer his identification, and the man checked it quickly and handed it back, causing John to breathe a sigh of relief. The cop scanned Cameron's and handed it back to her as well. John caught his Terminator protector staring intently at the cop's gun.

"Don't," he ordered in a low tone.

"We need a weapon, John," she stated, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"We're on vacation," he shot back. "You wouldn't be able to steal it without him noticing anyway."

"There is a 34.2 percent chance he will be too preoccupied with checking passports to notice."

John shook his head. "Not worth the risk. Don't worry. No one will find us here. Skynet doesn't know we're here, remember?"

"I said I didn't _think _Skynet knows we're here," Cameron corrected. "There is a possibility of a T-888 presence in Stratford. I need a weapon."

"You _are _a weapon," John replied.

The guard passed by them again, and Cameron gave John a withering look. He merely shook his head, and was relieved when Cameron obeyed, letting the guard pass by without a confrontation.

*********

John was jerked awake when the bus ran over a pothole and he groaned. "Are we there yet?"

Cameron was still staring out the window into the darkness. "Five minutes. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," John muttered. "If I can make it thirty six hours, I can wait another five minutes."

He stretched. Despite the many food and bathroom stops, sitting in a jerky van had gotten old about ten hours ago. There was only so much to do and he couldn't sit through another Star Wars marathon.

"Where's our hotel at?" John asked tiredly, rubbing his eyes in an effort to wake himself up.

"The River Garden Inn," Cameron replied. "Located on Romeo Street."

"Romeo," John repeated. "Really?"

"It's close to the Stratford Theater. We're almost there."

As they pulled into the hotel, John didn't feel quite so tired anymore. The excitement of the next few days was starting to set in.

Ms. Darbus collected all the pass cards for their hotel rooms and started going down her list.

"Alright," she announced. "Room assignments are as follows…Jason Reynolds with John Baum…"

Cameron held up a hand.

Ms. Darbus sighed. "Yes, Ms. Phillips?"

"I must remain with John."

John noticed Riley's scowl and a couple students snickered. John felt his face flush in embarrassment.

"And why must you be with John?" Ms. Darbus asked patiently. "He can take care of himself, can't he?"

"No."

John quickly stepped forward. "Sorry, what she means is…she doesn't like to be alone. She gets…" he fumbled for an answer. "…homesick…"

"She won't be alone," Ms. Darbus tried to explain. "No one will be alone."

"I must stay with John," Cameron insisted.

Ms. Darbus sighed. "Why are you so concerned about John?"

"I am a typical overprotective older sister," Cameron replied emotionlessly.

"You're not his sister," Riley said bitterly.

"She's right," John hissed, leaning closer to Cameron. "It wouldn't be appropriate. I'll be fine, and you'll be just across the hall."

"That's right," Ms. Darbus said. "You are in room 227 with…Ms. Dawson."

John saw a look of horror cross both Cameron and Riley's faces. The shock quickly turned to a loathsome glare as the two stared at each other, fuming. Cameron was giving Riley her best death glare, the one she usually reserved for staring competitions with Derek.

John let out a low whistle. "This is not going to end well…"

______________________________________________________________________________________________

_author's note: There, I don't think there's any technical errors this time (sorry again). Please let me know what you think!_


	3. A Mid Summer Night

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I hope you like this one as well. _

**Chapter Three:**

**A Mid-Summer Night**

John tiredly lugged both his and Cameron's suitcases down the hallway towards their rooms. Cameron hadn't said a word since Ms. Darbus had delivered the room arrangements and John sincerely hoped she wasn't planning out Riley's assassination.

"Look," he began. "We need rules, okay?"

"Rules," Cameron repeated. "Like what?"

"Well, first of all, you have to use the bed."

"I don't--."

"I know you don't sleep, but human girls sleep, so you have to," John shot back. "Also, you can't keep acting like my bodyguard. It makes _both _of us look weird."

"I have to protect you," Cameron replied. "How am I to do that if you are in another room?"

John glared at her. "I'm sure you'll find a way. Now, in regards to Riley, do not initiate any staring contests with her and don't stand so close when you talk to people. You know why?"

"It's creepifying."

"Okay, yeah, it's creepy," John agreed. "And last, but most importantly, you are under no circumstances allowed to terminate her."

Cameron cocked her head. "What if she attempts to terminate you?"

"That won't happen," John insisted. Riley would never try to harm him, that much he knew to be certain. As he'd said before, Riley wasn't the one who'd tried to kill him.

"How do you know?" Cameron questioned.

"I trust her."

"You used to trust me too."

John stopped instantly in the middle of the hallway, and Cameron paused as well. John found himself at a loss for words. Where had that come from? He was suddenly stumbling over how to reply, and finally drew in a shaky breath. "That was before you stopped trusting me."

Cameron tilted her head to the side. "You put yourself in danger to save me. That's not acceptable."

"It was to me," John grumbled. He dropped one suitcase in front of Cameron's room and went to enter his own.

"Sleep well, John," Cameron called.

John paused with his hand on the door knob. Was she trying to make him feel better? Did she understand his reaction? No, of course not. _She's just a machine._

"Thanks," he mumbled.

***********

Cameron entered the hotel room and took a quick visual scan of the area. Riley had just exited the bathroom; her travel case was sitting on the counter, still unzipped and Cameron could see a hairbrush sticking out.

Riley had already claimed the bed farthest from the door, which was fine with Cameron. The other was six feet closer to John.

Riley dropped her duffel bag near her bed and looked up at Cameron with a scowl. "Let's get one thing straight, okay? Just because you're John's sister doesn't mean I have to be nice to you."

"Just because you're John's friend doesn't mean I have to be nice to you," Cameron replied evenly, keeping her eyes locked on Riley. Riley eventually looked away and Cameron smiled slightly. It hadn't lasted long enough to be called a 'staring competition' so Cameron decided that she was not breaking John's rule.

She set her own suitcase down and entered the bathroom, locking in on Riley's hairbrush. Removing the hairbrush would anger Riley, she reasoned. If Riley was angry, she would not want to be near John, and John would not want to be near her. Mission Accomplished.

Cameron picked up the hairbrush and looked at the trash can. Insufficient. Riley was not _completely_ stupid. She would see the hairbrush right away. Cameron turned to the toilet. A quick analysis told her that the hairbrush would not fit down the toilet, not in one piece.

Cameron studied the brush and snapped it in half. After deducing that only small particles would be able to flush down the toilet, she proceeded to break the hairbrush into tiny pieces, then dropped them into the toilet. She then pressed the handle, watching with satisfaction as the particles were flushed down.

Riley would be angry.

Cameron smiled.

***********

John was just on the verge of falling asleep when he got a nagging feeling that something was watching him. Opening one eye, he saw a dark shadow standing by the foot of his bed. He quickly bolted upright, ready to fight or run when he recognized the figure as Cameron.

"What the heck are you doing in here?" he hissed. Was this how she planned on protecting him? Scaring him half to death by standing at the foot of his bed like some creepy stalker chick?

"I couldn't sleep," Cameron replied simply.

John stared at her incredulously. "That's because you _can't _sleep. I just meant you had to pretend! Why are you in here?"

"When people can't sleep, they find someone to talk to," she replied in a hushed tone.

"We can't talk in here," John protested, gesturing to his snoring roommate. "Jason is asleep."

Cameron looked to the door. "We can take a walk."

John wasn't sure why he had complied, but a few minutes later he was sitting on a couch in the empty hotel lobby, with Cameron beside him.

She hadn't said anything so far, so John finally drew in a deep breath, exasperated. "Why did you bring me out here?"

"Why did you come?" she countered calmly.

His brow furrowed. "I wasn't aware I had the choice."

"You always have a choice."

John sighed heavily. He knew exactly what she was doing. "This is about Riley isn't it?" he inquired. "Mom wanted you to talk me into dumping her, am I right?"

Cameron stared at him in confusion. "Where are you going to dump her? I will gladly assist you."

John held up a hand, rolling his eyes. "No. I'm not dumping her anywhere. And neither are you for that matter. It means 'break up'." At Cameron's still confused expression, he tried to explain further. "As in, no longer together, she's no longer my girlfriend."

"Yes," Cameron agreed. "You should dump her."

John shook his head sullenly. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand more than you think," Cameron replied. John didn't answer and Cameron didn't elaborate.

"Why don't you say my name anymore?"

John scrunched up his nose, confused. What was _that _supposed to mean? "What?"

"You only say my name to get my attention when you're angry. You don't say it when you have a conversation with me anymore. Why?"

John looked away, swallowing hard. "What does it matter anyway?"

"Sarah says 'John' a lot when she is talking with you."

"When she's angry," John agreed. She'd been angry at him a lot lately. Angry

because he hung out with Riley, angry that he wanted a normal life, that he'd accidentally almost shot himself, that he'd been responsible for the breach in their security.

"But she also says it with love and compassion," Cameron added. "You don't say that with me."

"Maybe because it's weird calling you by a name."

"Why?"

John hesitated. "Because you're not human. You're not supposed to have one." He hated having to tell her that, hated the fact that she was just a machine.

Cameron sat back a little on the couch. "Thank you for explaining."

"You haven't said that in a while," John stated, desperate to change the subject.

"You haven't explained anything in a while," came the reply.

John rubbed his eyes. It was way too late for this conversation. "Listen. Why did you want to talk to me?"

Cameron looked up and stared into his eyes, her face blank. "Riley is a threat to you," she said.

John rolled his eyes. _I knew this was coming. _"I don't care."

"She's a distraction. You need to remain focused on the mission."

"I'm fine," John said forcefully. "Don't worry about me."

"I do worry about you," Cameron replied softly.

John pursed his lips. This was getting too weird. He was tired of everyone dictating his life for him; who he should hang out with and who he should not. He was tired of everyone trying to keep him from having a normal life.

But how could he have a normal life knowing the end of the world was fast approaching?

"I need to get some sleep," he muttered. Not waiting for an answer, he stood up and walked back up the stairs toward his room.

He didn't look back and he didn't see Cameron studying him dejectedly as he walked away.

_Author's note: It's a little shorter than the first two and I know there's not as much humor, but it's mostly setting up for future chapters. I promise the next ones have a lot more Riley vs. Cameron moments and a lot more fun._


	4. Romeo and Juliet

_author's notes: Okay, first of all, I'm sorry this took so long. I had exams all last week and I've been working on my T:SCC Christmas story. Sorry about the wait. _

_Elessar-4-TnT - Don't worry. He'll come around. Hopefully, in this chapter, you'll kinda see where John's coming from, as far as forgetting the play. He really hasn't forgotten. _

_Tom 67 - Sorry about any confusion. There's actually a lot of references to the first story in this chaper. Yeah, and there will be a _lot _of Riley vs. Cameron._

_Dirt Rider 712 - First of all, yes, John and Cam will get together. In this chapter, you'll see why John's attitude changed from the last story. And Riley and John never really "broke" up. She got mad at him for a while, but that was it. Just an argument. And about John's inner turmoil...well, he's obviously going to have _some _when dealing with Riley vs Cam, but it'll tone down. Thanks for your thoughts. _

_Drackner Clawrus - Thanks for the rating! :)_

**Chapter Four:**

**Romeo and Juliet**

Riley woke up only to find that Cameron had already left the room. She quickly checked their agenda, seeing that there was an event scheduled at the Stratford Theater in an hour. Rubbing tired eyes, she entered the bathroom and looked into the mirror.

"Ugh," she grumbled to herself, wincing at her reflection. "I have major bedhead."

She reached for her hairbrush, only to realize it wasn't there. She frowned, momentarily confused. _Where did I put it? _

She searched the entire bathroom, wondering if maybe she'd misplaced it. When it didn't turn up, her second thought was that Cameron had taken it, which didn't seem too far-fetched considering Cameron's latest attitude, so Riley quickly checked around the rest of the room, her search yielding nothing.

"Great," she muttered sarcastically. "I have to go to an upscale theater production today and I look like the bride of Frankenstein…"

She exited the room, scowling at Jason Reynolds who tried to hold in a laugh at her frizzy hair. She tried not to look at John, whose eyebrows were knit together in confusion at her unkempt appearance.

_This is so embarrassing, _she thought. Riley knocked on the door of another girl's room, quickly asking to borrow a comb.

************

John looked around at the large theater chamber where the performances would take place. Ms. Darbus began to introduce their first activity. "This is a pre-show event where we'll meet the actors and actresses and participate in some fun activities."

John winced. Somehow he wasn't sure if Ms. Darbus' idea of fun was the same as his own. Cameron was standing at his side, as usual, and Riley had hung back, apparently avoiding her. John had heard her talking to another student about a missing hairbrush, whatever that was about. He sighed. If something bad had happened to Riley, he was pretty sure Cameron was involved.

Ms. Darbus got them all seats inside the Stratford Theater. John found a seat in front of Riley, with Cameron quickly filling in on his other side.

"Did you do something to Riley?" John asked, careful to keep his voice low so as not to anger Ms. Darbus.

"No," Cameron replied evenly. At times like these, he hated the fact that she could control her facial expressions so perfectly. It made it impossible to tell if she was lying.

The actors and actresses came out from backstage and introduced themselves, with the girl who would be playing Juliet coming forward with some special instructions for the 'fun' activity.

"We are going to play a little game," Juliet announced cheerfully. "In order to get you all used to the language used in Shakespearean plays, we'll be shouting out some Shakespearean insults. I'm going to pick a couple people from each school and you will come up, be given a note card with an insult written on it, and then one person on each team with go up against a student on the other team and shout your insults."

John tuned her out, glancing over at Cameron. "So where is her hairbrush?" he prodded.

"I don't know," Cameron replied.

"You don't know or you don't want to tell me?"

"I don't know."

John put his fingers on his temples. "What did you do to it?"

"I flushed it down the toilet," Cameron replied simply. "I do not know where it is now."

John shook his head in disbelief. "Down the toilet? Are you serious?"

"Let's have…the blonde right there…" Juliet was saying. John looked up to see the actress pointing at Riley, who stood up hesitantly and walked to the front, unsure of what to expect.

"And…the brunette sitting in front of her."

Cameron looked to John, confused. He simply shrugged. He didn't know what to expect.

"Just…go up and do what they tell you…" he suggested.

Cameron quickly did a quick crowd scan for any threats and reluctantly left his side.

John felt a bit nervous. Cameron and Riley were probably not the best choices.

He watched as the first two students began, with one coming from each side of the stage, meeting in the middle and shouting odd insults at each other while trying to appear "tough." Taunts ranged from biting thumbs to 'scurvy knave'.

John barely noticed the other students, waiting anxiously for either Cameron or Riley to appear on stage. Finally, he spotted Cameron next in line on the left, and instantly felt sorry for the poor soul who would be going up against her. He looked to the right to see the victim and almost choked.

Riley was up next too.

"Great," he muttered. "Could it get any worse?"

The call was given and Cameron stalked forward towards Riley, reminding John yet again that she was indeed a killing machine. If not for John's order not to murder anyone, he would have bet money that Riley was about to be terminated.

Riley's tough walk was credible, but a bit of nervousness had crept into her face. And honestly, who could blame her? John had been terrified when he'd seen Cameron coming after him during her 'malfunctioning days'.

The two combatants stopped about a foot away from each other. Neither spoke their lines, locked in a staring contest that John knew Riley had no hope of winning.

"Uh, one of you, speak," Juliet prodded, seeming uncomfortable at the tension build-up. _You picked them, _John thought.

Riley finally blinked, and John saw a slow smile of victory light up Cameron's face.

"Blondie," the young man playing Mercutio cut in with a twinge of annoyance. "Your line."

Riley flushed and looked down at her notecard. "You soulless villain."

Cameron's eyes flashed and John hoped she wouldn't take it too literally. It was probably the worst insult picked to be told to a heartless cyborg killing machine. Cameron looked down at her own card, stating in her cold tone, "You are death's fool."

Riley backed down and John sighed. Even Juliet and Mercutio seemed relieved…either that or they were wondering if they should kick Riley and Cameron out of the theater. John watched as Cameron turned away from Riley and headed back down the stairs. He felt some of his anxiety leave.

Riley was less than happy.

***********

"Taco Bell," John stated, glancing around the crowded restaurant with a raised eyebrow. "I like how we're eating at an American restaurant in Canada."

"Taco Bell is Mexican," Cameron replied seriously. "And I don't understand why you are complaining. You like Mexican food. It reminds you of when you lived in Mexico."

John raised both eyebrows, surprised. Sure, that was true, but… "I don't think I ever told you about that."

"Not yet."

John couldn't figure out how to respond. Riley came up to his side, keeping her distance from Cameron. She had a look of worry on her face. "Do you think they only take Canadian money?"

John's eyes widened. He hadn't even thought about that. "Oh, crap," he muttered. He only had American money in his wallet. "I forgot to switch my currency," he moaned. _Cameron. _Cameron never forgot anything. Surely she had already switched hers over. "Cam, do you have any Canadian money?"

"Yes."

She made no move to give him any and he realized he hadn't been clear enough in his request. "Can I borrow some?" he prodded.

"Yes," Cameron said, handing him a five.

John took it gratefully. "Thanks."

Riley hesitated. "John, do you think I can borrow some money?"

John looked to Cameron again. "Can I borrow one for Riley too?"

"No," Cameron replied coolly. "That's all I have."

John scowled. If he hadn't said it was for Riley, she probably would have given it to him. Then again, she may have guessed his intention. She wasn't stupid, and she knew him well.

Riley looked from John to Cameron uncomfortably. "It's okay, John. I'm not that hungry anyway."

John glared at Cameron and handed Riley his five dollars. Cameron watched indignantly, but didn't offer him any more money. _Maybe she really doesn't have any more._

After Riley ordered, John sat down with her and she offered him some nachos. He took them thankfully, stomach growling. He didn't notice Cameron coming his way until she plopped her tray with a chicken quesadilla and nachos in front of him without stopping. His eyes followed her as she made her way over to where Jason and Ms. Darbus were sitting with a couple other students.

Riley shot John a puzzled expression. He simply shrugged, mind whirring at Cameron's gesture. "She's not a big eater," he reminded her, unwrapping the quesadilla. It was exactly how he liked it. When Riley started eating again, his gaze drifted towards Cameron, who seemed a little out of place among Jason and his friends.

He felt an intense wave of guilt for leaving her out.

**********

"This is going to be nothing compared to _our_ school's performance," Jason bragged. Cameron was seated beside him in the balcony with John on her right. Riley had gotten stuck sitting in the row behind, next to Ms. Darbus.

"You were the bomb in that play," Jason said to Cameron.

Cameron cocked her head to the side. "I'm a bomb?" She looked over at John, eyes wide. "Am I putting you in danger?"

John exhaled. "No. It's just an expression. It means you were really, really good."

"Oh, thank you for explaining."

The lights dimmed and John watched as _Romeo and Juliet _got underway. Onstage, a fight broke out between the warring Montague and Capulet clans. John noticed right away that they were starting off with a modern twist, with the actors wearing regular clothes. _Interesting, _he thought.

Paris charged onto the stage, and held up a machine gun. Cameron suddenly slammed into John with enough force to knock the wind out of him, sending him out of his seat and onto the floor, behind the cover of the balcony wall.

"Stay down!" she ordered.

John struggled, vision blurring after knocking his head on the floor. "Get off!" he hissed. "He's not trying to kill me!"

Cameron pulled herself into a kneeling position, peering over the top of the balcony. Paris was addressing the bickering families. John scrambled to his knees, glaring at her, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from the other theater patrons.

"Why'd you do that?" he demanded.

"Your life was in danger," she said simply.

"That was part of the play!" he hissed.

"There are no guns in Romeo and Juliet."

"They've modernized the beginning to show that the lessons are still relevant!" John protested.

"Mr. Baum, Ms. Phillips," Ms. Darbus hissed sharply. "There is no roughhousing in the theater! Now take your seats or I will have to ask you two to leave!"

John quickly sat back down, trying to tune out the chuckles of his fellow classmates. Cameron took her seat as well, looking more confused than embarrassed.

John tried his best to ignore her for the rest of the play, tried to focus on what was occurring onstage. He found this increasingly difficult as the ending drew near, remembering vividly his own performance with Cameron.

"Oh, Romeo!" Juliet cried in despair, holding her husband's dead body. John could almost hear Cameron's voice in place of Juliet's. The way she'd projected the emotion, the feel of her arms around him…

Behind him, Riley let out a breath. "Wow, she's a really good actress."

_Actress. _He knew she was referring to the Juliet on stage, but Riley's words resonated in his heart. Because the Juliet on stage right now was just acting. And Cameron had just been acting too.

He stole a glance at his Terminator protector. "Yeah," he agreed. "She is…"

Back on the stage, Juliet had desperately kissed Romeo again, and John suddenly couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and quickly made his way to the exit. He was all too aware of Cameron hurrying to follow him. _Fine. Let her come. She needs to hear this…_

When he entered the garden outside the theater, he turned to her, face contorted.

"It was all a lie wasn't it?" he spoke softly. _Derek was right. You're only a machine. You can't feel. You can't love me…_

Cameron cocked her head, confusion crossing her features. "What?"

"In the play. Everything was just…a lie…"

"It wasn't a lie," Cameron replied. "It was just acting."

"Just acting," John snorted in disgust. "Don't give me that crap. If it was just acting, you wouldn't have locked Riley in the closet, would you?"

"I locked Riley in the closet because she was a threat to you."

"How was she a threat?"

"She could have given you the good-night kiss."

"Good-night kiss?"

"Yes. Kiss of death. Derek told me about it. He saw it on TV."

"Riley is not a threat to me, okay? Has she ever threatened me? Has she ever tried to kill me?"

John saw a flash of hurt cross her face. Her eyes locked onto his, but it wasn't her usual glare. There was sadness in it. John held her gaze, his own eyes burning with intensity. She had to understand. Riley wasn't the machine. Riley was not a threat.

Cameron was.

As if reading his mind, Cameron cast her eyes downward, and John realized he had just won a staring contest with a Terminator. With _Cameron. _He took a step closer, feeling bolder.

"If you were just acting, you wouldn't have gotten jealous. You had to have felt something. What was it?" Some small part of him screamed for her to say the words he was secretly longing to hear, the words he'd heard before but hadn't believed: _I love you John and you love me!_

Cameron appeared to hesitate. "I don't know."

John pursed his lips, heart sinking. "That's what I was afraid you'd say." He shook his head slowly. "Derek keeps telling me you're not human, not worthy of any love or trust. Is he right? Are you anything but a weapon?"

"I'm not a weapon, I'm a cyb—."

"You kill things for me, you're a weapon," John shot back. "But I…I thought, stupidly…I thought you might be more than that. I thought you were different." He shook his head, staring at her sadly. "I guess I was wrong."

Cameron looked troubled. "I don't understand. What do you want me to do?"

_I want you to be human. "_Nothing," he said instead. "Just…just leave me alone. Please."

He turned away. He didn't see the single tear run down Cameron's face, didn't see her touch it in confusion.

He didn't see because he no longer wanted to.

_author's note: Sorry if the end was a bit angsty again. It gets better. There's a happy ending, don't worry. :) Please read and review!_


	5. Taming of the Shrew

_Author's notes:_

_Tom 67 – Don't give up on Cameron yet. She's definitely not a quitter._

_LadyKryptonite294 – I'm glad you liked the ending, even if it is angsty. Let's see how you like a happy ending for this chapter. :) _

_DR1812 – Well, since you have threatened me with death, I guess I will give them a happy ending. :) Just kidding. I'd give them one anyway. No real angst in this chapter._

_King Steve – Nice insight. You're right about Cameron's response. Being a machine, she doesn't know exactly what she's feeling. And yes, the "are you anything but a weapon" is reference to Serenity. (such a great movie. Go River!)_

_Augustus Paladin Maximus – Sorry for causing any "pain". I think I know what you mean. I don't think there's any "cow killing" in this chapter. _

_Pointzip73 – There are going to be nine chapters. _

**Chapter Five:**

**Taming of the Shrew**

Cameron entered her hotel room before Riley returned. John's words had hurt. He was angry, and that was unacceptable.

Ms. Darbus had announced that dinner would be in nine minutes. Cameron scanned the room. It was cold out, so she grabbed her purple leather jacket. She spotted Riley's own heavy coat hanging behind the door and cocked her head, staring at it.

Riley would need her coat. Misplacing the coat would make Riley angry. An angry Riley is not good company for John. Cameron grabbed the coat and walked into the hall. After performing a visual scan to make sure Riley was not in the vicinity yet, she walked over to the cleaning lady's cart and stuffed Riley's coat into a bucket of cleaning solution.

Smiling in satisfaction, she walked back downstairs where the students were gathering to go to dinner.

When they arrived at Pizza Hut, Cameron could tell that John was still angry with her. Riley was too. The girl was shivering from the cold, even after putting an extra sweatshirt on. Cameron watched as John took off his own coat and put it around her shoulders. Riley blushed and smiled and Cameron stiffened.

Unexpected behavior on John's part.

John gave her an unfriendly glare. He knew exactly who had taken Riley's jacket and he wasn't happy about it. Cameron looked away. John was making this difficult.

*********

After dinner at Pizza Hut, Ms. Darbus announced that they had an hour of free time before they had to get to the next production. John was still frustrated with Cameron after the stunt at the restaurant. Why was she targeting Riley? She couldn't feel jealous, so it didn't make any sense. He was still contemplating when he entered the hallway to see Riley coming out of her room. His eyes were instantly drawn to her jacket, a very familiar jacket. He felt his blood run cold and he hastily looked around to make sure the jacket's owner was not in the hallway.

"Is that Cameron's jacket?" he demanded.

Riley looked perturbed at John's tone. "Hey, ease up, Jumpy, she took mine first…"

John felt a wave of panic. Cameron had _killed _the last guy to steal her beloved jacket. Despite his explicit order _not _to murder Riley, this could be a deciding factor for Cameron to attempt a termination that she probably stayed up at night planning.

"Take it off now," he ordered. "Hurry."

Riley stared at him puzzled. "Why?"

Cameron suddenly turned around the corner, spotting John and Riley. She stalked forward slowly, eyes on Riley.

"That's why," John muttered.

"My jacket," Cameron said stonily. "Give it to me."

Riley cocked an eyebrow. "Come and get it."

Cameron took a step forward, planning on doing exactly what Riley suggested, and John quickly stepped between them. "Hey, wait. Cameron, stop."

Cameron stood still, eyes never leaving Riley. John turned back to her.

"Riley, give it to her," he said slowly.

Riley looked less than happy, but she removed the jacket and tossed it to Cameron, who caught it without taking her eyes off Riley.

"Riley, why don't you go wait downstairs?" John suggested. Riley was about to protest, but saw John's pleading look and Cameron's stony stare. She nodded in mute agreement. As soon as she was gone, John turned to Cameron, furious now.

"Why did you do that?"

"She stole my leather jacket," Cameron replied calmly, as if that excused her actions.

"So you were going to kill her?" John demanded.

"It's _my _leather jacket."

"What is with you and that jacket?"

"It's my favorite jacket. Everyone who touches it dies."

"Yeah, I know. My mother told me. What if she were to touch it?"

"It's against my programming to harm Sarah Connor," Cameron replied.

"And Derek?"

"Derek would die if he touched it."

John held back a smile. "What about me? Would you kill me if I touched it?"

"No. My mission is to protect you. You can touch it as much as you like."

John flushed and looked away. "I told you not to kill Riley."

"I wasn't going to kill her."

"No, just torture her?"

"She has an 86% chance of surviving a fall from the second floor."

John scowled. "New rule. Do not do anything to physically hurt Riley. Okay? Nothing. Especially dropping her off the second story. Understand?"

"Yes. I understand."

"Good," John growled.

**********

John couldn't understand himself. One minute he was ticked off at Cameron for being a machine and the next he was unconsciously searching for her in the crowd of students entering the Stratford Theater. _She doesn't deserve this_, he told himself. It wasn't her fault she didn't understand human emotions. He shouldn't be taking his frustrations out on her.

No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he still came back to the same mind-blowing conclusion. He cared about her. A lot. More than he should. And it didn't matter what his uncle, or his mother, or even Riley might tell him. Nothing would change that. Despite what she'd done to him and his friends, despite what had happened between them, he couldn't hate her.

But he couldn't love her either.

It was hypocritical, he told himself. He'd trained his entire life to be able to fight and destroy these things. He couldn't fall in love with one. Derek was right about that much.

And he'd tried. He'd tried desperately to ignore her, to push her away. She pushed right back. He tried to talk himself out of his belief that deep down, in her own cyborg way, she loved him too. It was impossible, according to everyone around him.

So even if he couldn't love her, he could still care. He could still be friendly. Which was why, when they selected seats for the next theater production, he made sure to pick a spot right beside her.

She didn't react, though he was sure she was a bit surprised, considering the fact that he had just yelled at her a little while ago. Maybe she was used to it. Maybe he was bipolar in the future.

The production started. This time, it was the play "Taming of the Shrew", one John had never heard of before. It told the tale of Petruchio and Katherina, the headstrong "shrew". Petruchio begins to inflict various psychological torments on her - the "taming of the shrew" - until she becomes an obedient bride.

When the actual torturing began, Cameron touched his shoulder lightly. "Why is he hurting her?"

John hesitated, trying to come up with the best way to explain. "He's…trying to make her submissive. To make her obey him. I'm sure you know all about that." She was a Terminator after all.

Cameron didn't disagree. "Yes. I interrogated Allison until she submitted."

John looked over at her, losing interest in the play. He still didn't know who this Allison was, or why Cameron had called herself Allison. She'd never explained it to him, and he never had asked. "Who is Allison?"

"Allison Young," Cameron replied. "From Palmdale. You chose her. She was from the Connor Camp."

"Allison from Palmdale," John repeated. "That's who you thought you were when you lost your memory?"

"I have Allison's memories," Cameron replied. "I was made to look like her. We captured her and I broke her down. She lied to me; she refused to help me get to you. I snapped her neck and took her bracelet to infiltrate your camp."

_Great…that's another person to add to the list of those who have died for John Connor. _"What happened? Did I…" he hesitated. "Did I believe you?"

"I don't know."

John shook his head incredulously. "You don't _know_?"

"They scrub our memories when they reprogram us."

"But you remember the interrogation," John protested. "You still have those memories."

"Those are Allison's memories, not mine."

John leaned back in his seat. "So when you asked, 'did you hurt me' that was Allison's fear? From being tortured by you?"

He saw a flash of indecision on Cameron's face. "And…there was a man who came to hurt Jody. He threatened us. I had to give him my money to make him leave."

John frowned. "Wait…you didn't just kill him?"

"I didn't know I could. And yes."

"Yes?"

"That's why I asked."

John turned in his seat to face her, gripping her hand tightly. "I would never hurt you," he said strongly.

"You should," she replied.

John frowned. "What?"

"I told Sarah, if I ever go bad again, not to let you bring me back."

John pursed his lips. "But I will," he said. There was no way he would let her go again. He needed her. She was there to make sure he survived. She saved his life. She always saved his life. Cameron went silent, processing his conviction.

John turned back around, watching the play once more, hoping she would understand. _I'll always bring you back._

***********

Her first attempts at getting John to "dump" Riley had been unsuccessful. She needed a new tactic that did not involve harming Riley. John would be very angry if she harmed Riley. She didn't want him angry again, not when he had been kind to her in the theater. She wanted it to stay that way. That was how it was supposed to be.

But Riley was still in the way.

Being forbidden to physically harm Riley, Cameron settled for simply making Riley angry. She took an extremely long time in the shower, approximately thirty-three minutes with the water turned all the way on hot. At the same time she turned on the sink's hot water.

She heard Riley knock on the door after seventeen minutes. "Are you almost done in there?"

"No," Cameron replied. She was no longer in the shower, though she kept it running while she painted her nails.

Finally Cameron left the bathroom and Riley stalked past her with a scowl. Cameron waited by the door as Riley entered. The water turned on and she was rewarded with Riley's shriek as icy water blasted against her.

Cameron smiled.

This was not physically hurting Riley.

***********

Everyone was invited to watch a group movie in the downstairs lounge. Ms. Darbus had chosen "The Princess Bride". Several of the guys had groaned and thought about staying in their rooms until Jason had pointed out that it had sword fighting, scary monsters, death, revenge, and torture. John also added that it was better than going to bed early.

John wasn't sure why, but Riley had decided not to attend the gathering. He'd heard something about all the hot water being used up, but he didn't know anything else. Cameron, of course, had joined him on the couch as everyone got settled in to watch the movie.

When it got to the part where Westley says his famous, "As you wish" and the grandpa explains that he really meant "I love you," Cameron turned to John, eyes showing confusion.

"How does 'As you wish' mean the same as 'I love you'?" she questioned.

John took a deep breath. "Well...uh, he says 'as you wish' which means he's willing to do anything she wants him to do because he loves her. Does that make sense?"

"He obeys her because he loves her," Cameron repeated.

"Yeah," John agreed. "He wants her to be happy, so he's willing to do anything for her."

He met her eyes and Cameron smiled softly. "Thank you for explaining." It was her tone that made him think twice. It was the same tone she'd use the first time she'd said that to him, when they'd first met, before he knew she was a Terminator, before Cromartie had tried to kill him. Back when they were just John and Cameron.

For some reason, he felt the color rise in his cheeks and he quickly turned to refocus on the movie screen. He was acutely aware of their shoulders touching lightly and the fact that she kept her eyes focused on him for a few seconds longer than necessary.


	6. Hamlet

_author's notes: Thanks for everyone who's been following this story so far. I'm glad you're all enjoying it._

_Emote Control - Cameron _can _pretend to sleep, yes. That's what John was telling her she had to do._

_Augustus Paladin Maximus - Alright, there's no cow-killing, but, without giving too much away, there _is _frog-killing. :)_

_Lady Kryptonite - If you liked everything Cam's done to Riley so far, you'll love the next few chapters. The shower is nothing in comparison. There's a storm coming. :)_

_Go10 - You're right, this will mostly stay a comedy. Without revealing too much, there's really only one chapter of action. _

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter Six:**

**Hamlet**

When John got up for breakfast, he found Cameron downstairs already eating a bowl of cereal. She looked up at him, seeming disappointed.

"There's no pancakes," she said.

John snorted. "Good," he muttered. The last thing he wanted for breakfast was more pancakes.

Ms. Darbus walked in, giddy and cheerful as usual. John took a seat next to Cameron, rolling his eyes.

"Nobody should be that happy in the morning," he muttered.

"She got a good night's sleep," Cameron stated. "She has a high level of energy."

John rolled his eyes again. "You don't need to sound so…technical when we're just making conversation."

"Oh," Cameron said. She tried again. "I agree. She's too happy."

John chuckled lightly. "That's better."

"Today, we are going on a warehouse tour," Ms. Darbus explained. John spotted Riley coming in late, probably having to borrow a hairbrush again this morning. He still couldn't believe that Cameron had flushed it down the toilet. Not that he didn't find it slightly amusing after a while.

"What's a warehouse tour?" Jason asked between mouthfuls of toast.

"It is where all the sets, props, and costumes are stored for the theater productions," Ms. Darbus informed. "It's a…much, much bigger version of our supply closet."

"Let's hope no one gets locked in this one," Riley commented, shooting an angry glare at Cameron.

Cameron simply ignored her.

When they arrived at the warehouse, John found that it was indeed _much _larger than the supply closet. It was an entire building filled with elaborate set designs, realistic props, and fancy costumes for hundreds of different dramas.

Their tour guide led them through the costumes, explaining when and where some of the pieces were used in a drama.

John watched disinterestedly as the guide led them through the aisle of the weapons props. Up ahead, Jason grabbed a small pistol off the shelf and turned it on John with a smug grin.

"Stick em—."

Cameron's arm suddenly slammed down on top of his wrist with such force that Jason's gun went clattering to the floor and his mouth opened in a silent cry of pain. John almost expected to hear bones crunching.

To his credit, Jason didn't scream, but he clutched at his injured hand, eyes wide and watering. Cameron wordlessly bent down and picked up the pistol. She glared at Jason.

"Don't play with guns."

Jason nodded meekly and quickly backed away. John was scowling at Cameron when she turned around.

"He was a threat," she stated without emotion.

John scoffed. "It was a fake gun," he snapped back. "I wasn't in any danger! Remember at our school when I told you _not _to act like my bodyguard? You're not doing such a great job. It's embarrassing!"

He thought he saw her wince, but it was gone too fast for him to say for sure. "I apologize. I will try to refrain from injuring your friends any more."

John was at a loss for words. Did that include Riley? He had a hard time convincing himself that Cameron would simply give up her incomprehensible vendetta with his only true human friend.

While he and the other students participated in trying on some of the costumes in the props department, Cameron stood off to the side, merely watching without seeming to.

Ms. Darbus tried to encourage her to try on a costume, but Cameron stonily refused. John cringed. It was his fault, he knew. There must be something wrong with him. He couldn't get anything right. If he was nice to Cameron, Riley got mad. If he was friendly with Riley, Cameron got…well, violent. Or hurt, and that was worse.

He couldn't seem to find the right balance between both. So what did that mean for him? That he had to chose one? Chose between them?

Life was so much simpler when he didn't know either of them. When it was just him and his mother, on the run. Simpler, maybe. But life was _better _with his friends, with Cameron, with Riley. But not both together.

He hadn't realized he was still staring at Cameron until her eyes snapped up to meet his and he quickly looked away.

**********

"Alright," Ms. Darbus announced in her ever-cheerful tone. "We have all afternoon to shop around in Stratford, eat lunch, or hang at the hotel before we go see 'Hamlet' tonight. If you do go into town, please stay together in groups of five or more."

After Ms. Darbus sent them off, John, Riley, Cameron, Jason, and a couple other students began walking through the streets, examining the shops along the way. John caught a whiff of something sweet-smelling as they passed a store.

"Ooh, a chocolate shop," Jason exclaimed, eyes lighting up at the sight and smell. "Let's go in there!"

John entered the shop, instantly overwhelmed with the smell of assorted kinds of fudge. Riley started browsing through the candies and John shuffled after her, not really feeling in the mood for chocolate. He spotted Cameron observing him from near the door.

"Hey, do you have ten bucks?" Riley asked, pulling his gaze away from his protector.

John checked his wallet. "Yeah, why?"

Riley held up a fancy package of chocolates. "Cuz these cost ten bucks."

John stared at the bag, cocking an eyebrow. "You like this stuff?"

Riley snorted. "Dude, it's chocolate. Need I say more?"

John allowed a smile and took the package to the counter to pay for it. Cameron was standing near the other checkout while Jason purchased his own candy and tried to talk to her. John didn't understand how Jason would _want _to speak to her after she nearly broke his wrist a few hours ago. But he figured Cameron just had that effect on people. Maybe Jason was attracted to a girl strong enough to kick his butt with no effort.

For some reason, that sent a jolt of irritation through his body. Jason was attempting to coax some conversation out of Cameron, explaining to her why he preferred caramel to chocolate. She looked up at John, as if wanting him to explain.

He wasn't sure if he would have.

Riley was at his side again, taking the box of chocolates with a grateful smile. "Thanks, John."

She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek and John heard something slam onto the counter, shattering some of the glass.

He whirled his head around to see Cameron still standing at the other check-out, looking confused. Her arm had slammed into the surface with enough force to shatter the top panel of glass.

The store manager glowered at her and she flashed him a charming smile, "Sorry."

John couldn't understand. What had made her do that? She'd seemed surprised, as if the action was involuntary. She'd never lost control before. It was almost as if it was a reaction to…

He heard Riley make a disgusted noise from beside him. "Way to go, freak."

John's jaw clenched and he felt an unmistakable rush of anger at Riley's accusation. Cameron didn't respond, and he wanted to defend her. To yell at Riley for calling her that.

His mind froze. Why was he reacting this way? Why had Cameron reacted this way? He couldn't actually _feel _so strongly about a machine.

_They don't have feelings. They don't know love._

He suppressed his angry emotions. Nothing made sense anymore.

No one spoke until they met up with Ms. Darbus and the rest of the group again for lunch. After searching for a good spot, they settled on an upscale gourmet Italian restaurant.

"Fellini's Italian Caffe," John read. "Sounds fancy."

"And expensive," Jason muttered. "Great. I just bought like twenty dollars worth of chocolate."

They entered and were seated in a corner at a large table. John ended up being sandwiched in between Cameron and Riley. He picked up a menu and was surprised to see that it was not in English. "Is this written in Italian?" he demanded. "I don't speak Italian." He knew several languages, Spanish included. But he'd never learned Italian.

The waitress came over and started speaking rapidly in Italian. Ms. Darbus quieted down the group.

"Does anyone here speak Italian?"

Cameron raised her hand. "I can speak over—."

John threw an elbow into her side, clearing his throat. She looked over at him, wide-eyed. It hadn't hurt her of course, but at least it had gotten her attention. "Don't," he hissed in warning, trying to cover it up with a cough. Normal people didn't know a hundred languages.

Cameron got the hint and looked back at Ms. Darbus. "Yes, I speak Italian."

Ms. Darbus smiled, more in relief. "Would you mind ordering for us all?"

The waitress had been waiting, listening to their English ramblings in confusion. _"Posso accetto poss a ordinazione?"_

"She wants our orders," Cameron translated.

Jason slapped his menu down. "I'd like some macaroni and cheese."

"We go to a fancy Italian restaurant and you want macaroni and cheese?" Riley asked incredulously.

Jason shrugged. "It's cheap."

The waitress tapped her pencil impatiently. Cameron relayed Jason's order in a perfect Italian accent, "_pasta e formaggio." _

Cameron went around ordering meals for each of the students. When she came to Riley, she asked for the pasta special.

"_Zampe di rana, per favore," _Cameron stated. John frowned, finding it odd that she hadn't used the word _pasta. _

Jason seemed to have picked up the same thing. "Maybe Italians have different words for pasta," he began. "You know, like we Americans have a bunch of words for poop: turd, manure, dung…"

"Mr. Reynolds," Ms. Darbus interrupted. "Please do not speak of such things at the dinner table."

"Sorry," Jason muttered.

The waitress closed her book and headed off to the kitchen. The table was quiet for a while until Ms. Darbus asked Cameron, "Where did you learn to speak Italian?"

Cameron shot John a look, then replied, "My old school."

John nodded. "I took Spanish."

Ms. Darbus nodded pleasantly. "So where were you born?"

"I was…born…in America."

John sighed, putting a hand on his head. Of course she wouldn't have said she was _built _at Depot 37 in the Maguire Gunnery Range. Ms. Darbus seemed a bit confused with her answer, but thankfully let it drop at that.

"When did you meet John?" she asked.

"1999," Cameron replied. He'd almost forgotten that she was supposed to be this stray girl his mother had sort of "adopted".

"She didn't have a family, so we took her in," John explained vaguely, hoping his teacher would drop the subject.

Instead, Ms. Darbus looked stunned. "I'm so sorry. What happened to your parents?"

Cameron kept looking over at John for help, but he didn't know what he could do. "They died," she said simply.

"I'm sorry," Ms. Darbus said compassionately.

"I'm used to it," Cameron replied, without a hint of sadness. John winced, wondering if his teacher would get suspicious of Cameron's lack of emotion.

Fortunately, Ms. Darbus seemed to take it as a hint that John's sister didn't want to talk about it and mercifully stopped her conversation with Cameron.

Unfortunately, she turned it on John. "How did you mother handle the Romeo and Juliet performance? I understand she's a little controlling."

_My mom, she's kinda uptight…_

His mind blanked for a moment, recalling his early conversation with Cameron _Phillips, _not the metal-brained killer she turned out to be.

John shook his head, clearing his mind, focusing on the question. "Actually, she was fine." It was his metal-phobic uncle who had flipped out…_during _the act as well as after.

The waitress brought out their food and John was relieved to have the conversation stopped. He had been glad that Cameron had held her own during Ms. Darbus's mini interrogation. The last thing they needed was to mix up their new cover story.

John was about to dig into his meal when Riley let out a yelp as her plate was set down. John looked at what was on it, and his eyes widened.

"I thought you ordered the pasta special," he said.

Riley nodded slowly, digusted. "I did."

"That's not pasta," John pointed out. On Riley's plate was a platter of frog legs. Jason looked over at her food.

"Ewww," he muttered, inspecting them closely. "I think it's still moving..."

Riley pushed away from the table. "I'll be right back," she said, looking a little green as she headed to the bathroom.

As she left, John turned an icy glare on Cameron, who had perfected the look of innocence.

"I must have messed up Riley's order," she said calmly.

_Messed up?_ "Wait, you made a mistake?" John demanded. "Since when do you make mistakes?" Machines aren't supposed to make mistakes!

Ms. Darbus gave him a cross look. "Mr. Baum, she's only human."

John scowled. _That's what you think_. He saw Cameron cock her head to the side, as if wondering how he'd respond to such a statement. His anger slowly dissipated. "I know," he said softly. Cameron cocked her head.

Ms. Darbus called the waitress back over and started to grab Riley's nasty plate. Cameron took the opportunity of Riley's absence to lean in close to John, causing his pulse to pick up.

"In the explosion, I believe my Italian speech functions were compromised," she stated evenly. She sat back up and started to cut up her meal.

John stared at her, unable to tell if she was joking or not. _Yeah right, a Terminator with a sense of humor. That's new._

Riley returned, still looking pretty ticked. John stole a glance at Cameron whose expression had turned smug. He took a deep breath. So much for a fun-filled six days. Up to now, he'd spent the majority of it preventing Cameron and Riley from killing each other…or more specifically, preventing Cameron from murdering Riley.

Riley wouldn't stand a chance.

*************

They'd returned to the hotel for about an hour before heading off to see "Hamlet." On the way, Ms. Darbus excitedly rambled on and on about how Hamlet was such a wonderful, dark play, accidentally spoiling the ending by tearfully exclaiming how sad it is because everyone dies.

Cameron had turned to John. "Not everyone dies," she stated. "Fortinbras and Horatio still live."

He scoffed. Two out the entire cast. They weren't even the main characters.

"She was exaggerating," he explained.

When they entered the theater, John sat down next to Jason and Ms. Darbus, leaving both Riley and Cameron sitting among other students. He had just about had enough dealing with their drama, and he would have thought his Terminator protector would be beyond such petty behavior.

Her bizarre reaction in the chocolate shop couldn't mean anything, could it? It's not like she could _really _be jealous of Riley, right?

John got caught up into the play until Hamlet raised the famous query: "To be or not to be, that is the question."

John was suddenly struck by the statement. It was true, wasn't it? That was his choice: to be or not to be. To be the hero, the savior of mankind, or not. There was no other choice. Maybe he didn't even had a choice.

Judgment Day was coming.

_Isn't that what I'm supposed to be? A hero? Isn't that who I am?_

_I'm not who they think I am, some messiah. I can't lead an army. Maybe that's you but it'll never be me, so you've gotta stop it. Please._

That had been his solemn plea to his mother. Stop it all so he wouldn't have to become the leader, the one everyone was counting on, depending on.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe they were all wrong.

Maybe Judgment Day was not meant to be stopped. Maybe it really was going to happen, was destined to happen, _fated _to happen, and he just needed to accept that. Maybe he needed to stop clinging to the false hope that he could have a normal life, that everything would work out.

It wouldn't.

He'd never be _normal. _

Skynet would be born, whether from the Turk or something else, and so would the resistance. He needed to be the hero, the leader of mankind. And she was supposed to help him stay alive long enough to get to that stage. She was supposed to help him, protect him.

He needed her.

_There is no fate but what we make_.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

_author's note: No offense to anyone who likes frog legs, but...yuck._


	7. As You Like It

_author's note: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! You guys are great!_

_LadyKryptonite294 - Thanks for the review. And you're right, it would be funny to see Ms. Darbus recognize John in the future. :)_

_Elessar-4-TnT - I agree. John and Cameron have two totally different perspectives. I like writing John because he's human and its hard to get Cameron's mechanical way of thinking right. I do actually have a few moments with other POV, like Cameron and Riley, but I prefer to focus on John._

_Pjazz - Thanks! Your fic "Secret Diary of Cameron Baum" actually partially inspired the "jealous" reaction. It's exactly like something Cameron would do._

_Augustus Paladin Maximus - I think you're thinking of "Cameron gets a Virus" by Metropolis Kid. I read that too. But, yes, actually, in this fic, Cam _does _like chocolate. And I agree with you about the "Hot N' Cold" song. _

_Dre4mwe4ver - Hey, welcome! I actually _had _wondered why you hadn't reviewed before, since you'd read all of my other stories. Anyway, thanks for the review, I like your insight. And yes, there's probably English speaking waiters, but you never know. _

_King Steve - Oops. I didn't know frog legs were French. I know next to nothing about them, just that they are made from frogs and look kind of nasty. To me, at least. _

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter Seven:**

**As You Like It**

Riley was hungry when she entered her hotel room. After seeing the accidental meal in the restaurant, she'd lost her appetite. Now, however, she was starving, and she still had that big box of chocolates John had bought her.

When she entered, she spotted Cameron sitting rigid on the edge of her bed, reading…was that a dictionary? Riley shook her head, ignoring her weirdo roommate. She reached into her suitcase and frowned when she realized the box of chocolates were no longer sitting there.

She looked up at Cameron. "Have you seen those chocolates that John bought me?"

"I ate them," Cameron replied calmly without looking up.

Shock exploded onto Riley's face. "What?!! I thought you weren't into food!"

"Chocolate is a girl's best friend."

"Yeah, _this _girl's best friend!" Riley shot back. John's little freak of a "sister" was really starting to grind her nerves. "They weren't for you!"

"You should have eaten them faster," Cameron stated coolly.

Riley couldn't believe this. If not for John's warning about Cameron being a psychotic killer-woman in her mood swings, she probably would have taken a swing at her roommate.

***********

John stopped in front of Cameron and Riley's room, his towel thrown over his shoulder. He knocked once, then poked his head in when he realized they'd left the door cracked.

"Riley? Cam?"

Both girls appeared, scowling at each other. John wasn't sure he wanted to know why.

"A bunch of us are going swimming till it's time for the next show," he explained. "Do you want to come?"

"I don't swim," Cameron stated.

John saw a broad grin cross Riley's face. "Perfect. Let me get ready." Riley ushered him out the door and shut it, but not before he caught a glimpse of Cameron's crestfallen face.

***********

Cameron stood at the edge of the pool, observing John's movements in the water. Several of the other boys were wrestling and dunking each other's heads under the surface. She concluded that this was not a murder attempt, merely a game that human males liked to play in the pool. John was wading in the deep end alone. He was always alone. The outcast. Being John Connor can be lonely.

Cameron wished she could swim.

Riley finally arrived at the pool in her swimsuit and put her towel down on a lawn chair, heading for the ladder to enter the deep end with John. She glanced at Cameron as she strode past, her expression smug, victorious. Cameron felt a strange emotion of anger and jealousy before she slid her foot out into Riley's path.

Riley tripped over her boot and fell forward, toppling into the pool headfirst. She surfaced, coughing up water and sputtering angrily. John appeared to be distressed…and angry. Cameron frowned, remembering John's request. This might constitute harming Riley.

"Cameron! What did you do?" he demanded.

Cameron looked down into the water at Riley, who was still choking out some chlorine water. "Riley is a klutz," she stated. "She tripped over my foot."

"Because you stuck it out!" Riley shouted.

John looked up at her, disappointment written on his features. This was worse than his look of anger. "Did you?"

Cameron hesitated, unwilling to lie to John anymore. "Yes."

John sighed, putting his fingers to his temples in a human gesture of weariness. "This is insane," he muttered. "This is worse than with Derek…"

Cameron perked up at the mention of Derek. Knocking Derek into a pool would be greatly satisfying.

***********

That night at dinner, John was still in a bad mood over the pool incident, and he was definitely not looking forward to another dining experience with Cameron and Riley.

John chose the seat on the end, with Riley beside him. Cameron was forced to sit across from Riley, giving her an intimidating Terminator stare. Riley appeared uncomfortable, trying to ignore it. John had just about had it with their petty war. Cameron was a Terminator, for crying out loud.

Riley suddenly jerked beside him, eyes flashing dangerously at Cameron. "You kicked me!"

John took a deep breath. _It's like babysitting a five-year old_…

"Cameron," he ordered.

Cameron looked up at him with unwavering eyes. "I had a twitch."

John shook his head in disbelief. "Just stop it, okay?"

Thankfully, she didn't try to injure Riley anymore. The waiter brought their drinks and food, and John began to eat.

About halfway into the meal, Riley went to the bathroom and John spotted Jason whispering something to Cameron. She smiled sadistically. John huffed in annoyance. Whatever they were planning had to have something to do with Riley.

When John wasn't looking, Cameron grabbed a handful of sugar packs and ripped them open, pouring them into Riley's drink just like Jason had suggested. She took the straw and stirred them in carefully until they dissolved into the liquid.

"Wait till she takes a sip of that," Jason said with a broad grin.

Cameron spotted Riley exiting the bathroom and started casually eating her meal again. John glanced back over, sending her a suspicious look.

Riley sat down beside him and unassumingly took a sip of her drink. Her eyes widened and she spit it out, coughing and hacking. Jason snorted trying to hold in laughter and John saw a slow, proud smile cross Cameron's face.

Riley stood up, slamming her hand down on the table furiously. Cameron stopped smiling when Riley looked her in the eye. "Listen to me; I am sick and tired of you being such a total jerk! Why can't you just accept the fact that John can choose who he becomes friends with? You're just like his mother; you're both complete control freaks, always wanting to have things go your way! Well, John doesn't have to listen to you! And I don't have to put up with this complete humiliation and public hostility. I won't put up with it anymore!"

Riley slammed her chair in and stalked towards the door. John stood up quickly, stunned. He'd never seen Riley lose control before. He heard Jason snicker.

"Dude, you got her good," he whispered to Cameron.

Cameron, who hadn't seemed bothered as Riley chewed her out, smiled faintly. John whirled on her. She may not care what Riley thought, but she cared about what John thought of her. He was the only one she would listen to.

"Cameron!" He ordered. His eyes were narrowed and he was fuming, having reached his own breaking point. He was done trying to be the mediator in their immature fights. Someone had to stop it and he was the only one who could. "Stop, alright? Don't go near her, don't talk to her. Just leave her alone."

Cameron's face fell at the seriousness of John's tone, and she locked eyes with him for a full twenty seconds. He held her gaze until, finally, she relented. "As you wish."

John swallowed hard. It was impossible to miss the reference.

**************

During the last performance, Riley had stayed clear of Cameron…and Cameron had stayed clear of John, opting to sit near Ms. Darbus. Riley didn't know what John had said to her, but she knew it had to have hurt Cameron. That should have brought a little comfort to Riley, but she didn't really feel victorious. Despite the fact that Cameron had been antagonizing her all week, Riley still felt a little guilty for forcing John to take care of the situation so absolutely.

When they got back to their hotel room, neither of them spoke to the other. Riley started organizing her suitcase for the trip back, while Cameron stood staring out the window into the rain. The gloomy night seemed to mirror both of their moods perfectly.

Riley couldn't take the silence anymore. She had to have some answers. "Why do you hate the fact that John likes me?"

Cameron gave no answer and Riley sighed. "What happened after I left the restaurant? Why the sudden truce?"

"John asked me to leave you alone."

Riley chewed her lip, thinking. At first, she'd believed Cameron had started this war because she simply hated the fact that Riley was taking away her best friend, her "brother" whom she'd been with nearly her whole life. But Riley was starting to see that there was a deeper motive behind Cameron's jealous actions than she'd first imagined. "So, you stopped just because John wanted you to?"

"Yes."

Riley paused, leaning back against the bed post. She should have known this from the beginning. She should have recognized the reason for Cameron locking her in the closet. She'd yelled at John for not coming to let her out, but she should have realized why John had forgotten all about her that night. "You care about him a lot, don't you?"

Cameron still didn't turn around. "Without John, my life has no purpose."

Riley closed her eyes. How absolute was that? It was there. The proof. "So that's why."

Cameron finally turned away from the window. "Why?"

"Why you hate me," Riley finished. "Because you think John's in love with me. You're jealous."

Cameron didn't reply and Riley pursed her lips. "You love him." Cameron didn't answer, which only proved Riley's theory. She shook her head sadly. "Well, you don't have to worry about me getting in your way. I've been noticing some things about John." She took a deep breath, her heart breaking as she added painfully, "He loves you too."

"No he doesn't," Cameron replied quickly. "Not anymore."

Riley frowned. Did she seriously think John's feelings would change over that one argument at dinner? Was there more? "Why has that changed?"

"John changed. He's growing up. He's come to conclusions, agreed with his mother and Derek about…certain things. John's not stupid."

Riley didn't understand what "certain things" meant, but she did know one thing. "But he's still John."

Riley saw Cameron's face soften, and she was struck by how much Cameron truly cared about John. "Yes. Still John."

*********

John couldn't take it anymore. How had things gotten so out of hand? Everything had gone wrong. Something had happened between Cameron and Riley. They weren't fighting, but they'd seemed resigned, like something was resolved between them. Something had happened. And so, something had broken between John and Riley too.

She'd avoided him during the last play. So had Cameron. After a while, John had decided to step up and take charge, knocking on her hotel room.

"Riley!" he called. "Come on. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

Riley opened the door, and stepped out, closing it behind her. John didn't see Cameron inside. Maybe she was in the bathroom or something. He caught a glimpse of Riley's face, her eyes overcome with emotion.

"Riley," John began. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she repeated. She pursed her lips, as if considering something. "John…do you even care?"

What kind of question was that? "Of course I---."

Riley held up a hand, and he trailed off. "Riley," he started. "If there's a problem here, I…I want to fix it."

"Do you?" Riley asked.

"Yes," John protested. Where was this new attitude coming from? Had Cameron said something else to her? "We need to work this out. I need to know what's wrong."

"Why don't you ask Cameron?"

John's eyes widened. "Ask Cameron? Is that what this is about?"

Riley's eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't give me that, John. I'm not stupid. You lied to me. You told me she was your sister, then you say she was kind of "adopted" by your family? And you concoct some freakish story about her being a psychotic mental patient with brain damage, which I'm not sure I believe."

"It's not a big deal," he protested. Why was she making such a fuss about this? Surely she could see that nothing was between him and Cameron.

"It _is _a big deal!" she countered angrily. "This isn't some innocent secret, John! You have another girl living at your house and you expect me to be just okay with that? An adopted child, who just so happens to be your age, and…she's beautiful," she admitted reluctantly. "And except for the issue with her brain being missing, she's perfect for you." John lowered his eyes. Even through her intense hatred of Cameron, she had a certain insight into Cameron's behavior that he had never understood. _Maybe it's a girl thing_.

Riley hesitated, eyes softening in pain. "And she loves you."

John shook his head slowly, jaw clenched. "No she doesn't." _She can't love me. They don't know love…_

"I don't know what you're seeing, but it's totally not true." Riley insisted. "I've talked to her, John. I've seen the way she looks at you when your back is turned."

"She wants me safe, nothing more," John replied.

Riley crossed her arms. "And why do you think that is?"

"I _know _why that is," John said coldly. _I'm her mission_. _There's no other reason._

Riley shook her head. "You can keep telling yourself that, John. But you're only lying to yourself." Her voice caught in her throat. "And you're lying to me. I see the way you look at her too, the way you desire to be near her. You love her and you don't even realize it."

John opened his mouth to speak, then shut it. Was she right? He had been so sure he'd been falling for Cameron in the drama. Even these past few days, he'd felt that strange desire to protect her from Riley's insults. He still searched for her company. He _noticed _things, sometimes unconsciously scanning the crowd to reassure himself she was still there. Had he been denying it? Because it was impossible, _wrong _somehow for John Connor to be in love with the enemy?

"Riley…"

Riley held up her hands in defeat. "I'm done, John. I can't take this. I'm done with all the Baum family craziness. This…whatever this was between us…it's over."

"Riley!" John protested.

She didn't answer, simply opened the door and entered her room, leaving John feeling helpless, distraught, and confused.

************

For their last night in Canada, Jason had decided to throw a mini party in his and John's room. He'd stocked up on sodas, chips, and Oreos, inviting all the LA County students over. John hadn't expected Riley to attend, and he wasn't surprised when she didn't show up. He wasn't in much of a party mood, laying on his bed while the other students laughed and talked around him.

He saw Cameron enter the room and purposely ignored her. She was the cause of all this. She was the reason his life was falling apart at the seams. She saw him, but apparently picked up on the fact that he didn't want to talk to her and wisely stayed away.

Finally John couldn't take it anymore. He stood up swiftly and left the room, heading downstairs into the lobby where he collapsed onto the couch. No one was around this late at night, and he was finally able to be alone with his thoughts.

His peace and quiet didn't last long. Cameron came up to him, offering a bowl of crunchy Cheetos. John refused to take any. She looked hurt, but merely stood there, watching him.

"You're angry," she stated.

John scoffed. "Yeah, you got that right."

"You're angry with me."

John didn't answer. She knew exactly what was wrong.

"Why?" she asked.

John swiftly rose from the couch, face flushed with anger. "Because you're just a machine!" he exploded. "You lie. You always lie! You're…you're not human and you never will be!" He saw the shock in her eyes, but he couldn't stop. "You get in my head and you say the right things but it's meaningless! You can't feel, you can't have emotions. Everything that happened in that performance was just that—a performance. You didn't mean any of it. Because you _can't _mean any of it."

Cameron was silent for a moment. "Is this about Riley?"

"No, this is not about Riley," John growled through gritted teeth.

"You're lying," Cameron stated.

John slammed his fist down onto the coffee table. "Blast it! Riley basically dumped me because she believes I'm in love with you! Because you _had _to tell her that we're not brother and sister. And not only that, but you had to tell her…" he trailed off, pressing his lips together tightly. "That was low, Cameron."

"What was low?"

"You. Telling Riley that you love me just to get her to break up with me."

"I didn't tell Riley," Cameron replied. "Riley knew."

"There's nothing there to know," John shot back. "You don't mean any of it. I just--I wish…" He slumped back down into his chair, not looking at her. "I wish I'd sent back someone else…"

He saw the flash of hurt cross her face and he told himself it wasn't a real emotion, just a triggered response. But he couldn't help the sick feeling that starting burning in his heart. She didn't say anything, and if she was human, he would have thought she was trying to maintain her composure.

"I will not bother you anymore," she said quietly. "I'll stay away unless your life is in danger."

He should have felt some relief at that. It's what he'd wanted all along, some space. But somehow it only made him feel worse. It made him feel guilty.

"I will no longer attempt to be your friend," she finished. She set the bowl of Cheetos down beside him, then turned slowly and started walking away. John bit his lip, wondering if he should say anything. She suddenly turned around and he heard a catch in her voice when she stated, "When I said you had many friends in the future, I was not lying."

John refused to make eye contact. He felt too much like a jerk. Cameron lowered her gaze as well as she added, "I was one of them."

He slowly raised his eyes, but she was already walking away.

Again.

John put his head in his hands. He'd been unnecessarily cruel. Cameron was the only thing he had left, the only one who could actually understand him and what he was going through. He'd already acknowledged that he would never be normal; unconsciously he knew that meant he could never be with Riley. There was only Cameron, the only girl he'd ever truly loved.

Why was this so hard? Was the stress of being the savior of mankind finally reaching its breaking point? Why was he pushing away everyone he'd ever cared about?


	8. The Tempest

_Author's Note: Okay, first of all, I just want to say that I didn't intend for the last chapter to be turned into a hate-John fest. Yes, he was cruel, but Cameron was not without fault and you have to try to see things from John's perspective too. He's only getting part of the story; he still believes that it's impossible for Cameron to feel love, so he reacts out of anger and confusion to his own emotions. No offense intended to anyone. It _was _funny to read some of the reactions about John being a complete blockhead, but these were just my thoughts as I was writing it._

_LadyKryptonite294 - Thanks! I'm glad you can feel their emotions too. And I'll keep the future one-shot in mind. :)_

_Augustus Paladin Maximus - Hey, I liked all the ideas. :) Number 2 was the best, very "Romeo and Juliet." I love it, but my actual ending is a little bit happier. :)_

_Pointzip73 - It's not pathetic. It's actually cool that you enjoyed it that much. Hope you like this chapter too!_

_TermFan1980 - Thanks for sticking up for John. :)_

_xxXxGracieyCullenxXxx - Glad you liked it so much. Go Jameron! And go Team Edward! (I'm assuming that from the "Cullen" part of your name. Correct me if I'm wrong.)_

_Dre4mwe4ver - Yes, you're writing the author, but this author likes to hear what you think. I like your insight into John's perspective. Pretty dead-on. "My" John. :) Sounds cool. And of course, I'm continuing. I never really even considered last chapter as a stopping place before. But, yes, a better ending is coming. _

________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter Eight:**

**The Tempest**

John packed in silence and dragged his suitcase out to the bus. He saw both Cameron and Riley in line to stow their luggage, but neither made an effort to speak to him. Suddenly John couldn't wait to get back home.

When they boarded the bus, John sat in his same seat, purposely leaving a spot empty beside him, half-hoping Cameron would decide to join him. She didn't even look at him as she passed by him, sitting five rows back in an empty seat. John felt a pang of regret, but he didn't know how to make amends with her. She was a machine for heaven's sake; he shouldn't _have _to make amends.

He sat alone, staring out the window. As crazy as it seemed, life was so much simpler when all he had to worry about was the coming end of the world. Most of the students were still exhausted after staying up late for Jason's party, so the ride home started out fairly quiet, which was quite alright with John. He needed some time alone with his thoughts.

He caught himself stealing a glance at Cameron, and saw that she was reading the "Wizard of Oz." He suddenly felt horrible for saying all that stuff about her being just a machine. All she'd wanted was for him to accept her, and he'd thrown it in her face. _Some leader I am_, he thought despondently. Even now, she was doing what he'd stupidly told her. She was staying away.

After a few hours of driving, they pulled into the border patrol and an officer stopped the bus. John sighed and pulled out his passport to be checked once more. The door opened and John looked up to see the patrol officer step wordlessly onto the bus. _Jeez, _John thought. _Someone's had a bad day at work. _

The officer fixed a cold stare on the bus driver. "Is this the LA County students?"

"Yes—."

The officer ripped out a gun, sending several rounds into the driver's chest. John's mouth opened in shock and he ducked behind his seat, heart pounding in terror.

He saw Cameron charge forward from the back, a determined look on her face. "Run!" she shouted to him.

He didn't need any persuading. Cameron tackled the officer, shoving him out of the bus. The man grabbed Cameron and rammed her into the side of the bus. The entire vehicle rocked.

John staggered to his feet, grabbing his backpack and heading towards the emergency exit. No one could beat up Cameron like that. No human anyway.

And that could only mean one thing.

Triple 8.

John felt a spike of fear. How stupid he'd been! They were no safer in Canada than they had been in LA County. His mother was right. They could find him. They could always find him.

John flung open the emergency exit, dropping to the ground outside the bus. He looked back inside. All of the students were hiding under their seats, hands over their heads, crying in fear, but thinking this was just some regular shooter. _Good. Let them think that_.

John crawled around the corner of the bus, spotting the two Terminators fighting. The Triple 8 had thrown Cameron against the bridge railing, denting it. John fought the undeniable urge to rush to her aid, knowing it would be useless. There was nothing he could do against a Terminator. He would only get in the way…or get himself killed.

As the Triple 8 brought its pistol up again, Cameron's fist shot out, knocking the weapon to the ground. She then grabbed the Triple 8 and rammed him into the barrier, smashing through the railing, leaving nothing between the Triple 8 and a sheer drop to the river below. Cameron tried to knock the enemy Terminator off the bridge, but only partly succeeded.

The Triple 8 went over the ledge, grabbing onto Cameron's leg and dragging her over with it. John's eyes widened in horror and he sprinted forward towards her. She managed to grasp the edge of the bridge with one hand and dangled there with the Triple 8 still clinging to her leg. Her eyes locked on John.

"Run, John!" she demanded. "As long as he's dangling here, he can't get to you. Run to safety!"

John hesitated. His feet seemed frozen in place, unable to run away from her, to leave her alone with that thing. What was he thinking? He felt an unusual urge to protect her, though he was positively powerless to do so. Would he feel the same about Riley? If Riley was caught by a Triple 8, would he go back for her? Would he run?

He had a feeling he would leave, because if a Triple 8 caught Riley, she was as good as dead. But Cameron was almost equal to the Triple 8 in strength. He couldn't bear to leave her, sacrificing herself so he could escape. What had he done to deserve such loyalty? Such love?

What if the Triple 8 killed her? Destroyed her or her chip? He knew exactly what would happen. He'd feel an incomprehensible sadness, a gaping hole that could never be filled, not even by Riley. Because if Cameron ever died, he would be begging the Triple 8 to kill him. Because what was the use in fighting for the future when she wouldn't be in it?

And he no longer cared about what his mother or Derek thought. He couldn't deny it anymore. He felt stupid for blinding himself to these feelings before. After everything they'd gone through, he still hadn't seen Cameron's actions for what they were. He seen her love for him and he'd been denying it because it was utterly impossible. He knew better now.

He couldn't leave.

Because he loved her.

"Run, John, please!" Cameron pleaded, begging him to save himself.

This was the time. He'd be _her _hero, not just the hero of mankind. No fate but what we make.

_I'm not running. Not today. _

Despite her protests, he rushed forward and grabbed the Triple 8's fallen weapon. He darted to the edge beside Cameron, peering down at the Triple 8, who was still clinging to Cameron's leg. He pointed the gun down, shooting off several rounds into the Terminator's hand, careful not to hit Cameron. The blast caused the machine to lose its grip on Cameron and it fell, plummeting towards the river. John grasped Cameron's hand, hauling her up as the Triple 8 hit the water below with a tremendous splash.

"He'll be back," Cameron said quickly. "You should have run. You should have done what you're trained to do."

John gripped her hand tightly. "This is what I'm trained to do. I'm trained to be a soldier, a hero. And I don't leave my friends behind."

He hoped she understood his meaning.

"We have to go," she ordered. "Now."

John pulled their passports out of his backpack and they quickly passed through the border patrol, back into the USA. Not that it mattered. It didn't matter where they went. The military stationed on the border couldn't stop it. It would find him. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting off the bridge and stealing a car that would get them far away before the Triple 8 managed to crawl out of the Detroit River.

"There!" John said, scanning the area near the end of the bridge. "There's a jeep by that warehouse!"

He and Cameron rushed over to it and climbed in. Cameron quickly hotwired it and pressed down on the gas pedal. They didn't move.

John groaned, looking at the gas gauge. "Out of gas. Just our luck."

Cameron looked up into the rearview mirror, spotting the Triple 8 walking out of the river. "Run, John," Cameron ordered. "Hide in the warehouse."

She jumped out of the car and rushed at the Terminator, slamming her hand up under its chin. The Triple 8's head snapped back at an unnatural angle, but it kept coming, throwing a punch that knocked Cameron backwards.

The Triple 8 stood over top of her, continuously punching her. Against his better judgment, John started to rush for her side, unloading the remainder of his ammunition at the Triple 8's head in a desperate attempt to impair its vision. Cameron stumbled to her feet and spotted John's approach. She quickly grabbed the Triple 8 from behind and hurled him into a huge dumpster on the side of the warehouse.

Spinning around, she stalked over to John and dragged him by the collar towards the warehouse. "Don't worry about me," she said. "I'll be fine. I'm just a machine, remember?"

John winced hearing his own words. "Cameron, wait, I didn't mean that…"

Cameron whipped her head around, and John saw the Triple 8 climb out of the dumpster and begin stalking towards them. Cameron gave John a push.

"Go!" she ordered.

John didn't need to be told twice. He darted into the warehouse.

************

John felt his way in between the maze of crates, trying to find a back entrance. What if Cameron couldn't hold the Terminator off? What if it came looking for him? His pace increased and he reached the back wall, horrified to see it was a dead end. "Oh no," he whispered. He started to turn around when he heard the warehouse door creak open.

He quickly crouched down, praying that the Terminator would not come this way. He heard the methodical slow steps…coming right for his hiding place.

John took a deep breath. It was coming closer, he could hear that. A few more yards and it would be standing right beside him. There was only one thing to do. One chance to buy some time and escape.

He had to charge the Terminator.

He almost laughed at himself. _How stupid can I get_? But he quickly realized that he would have a better chance with the element of surprise, rather than when the Terminator reached his hiding spot and put a bullet to his head. There would be no escape from that, no where to run. If he could charge it and knock it off its feet, he'd have a slightly higher chance of escaping. If Cameron were here, she'd calculate the exact increase in his survival percentage. He felt panic grip him. If the Triple 8 was coming his way, what had it done to Cameron? Would she die never knowing that he loved her?

John took another deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. The shadow crossed in front of his hiding place, and John suddenly moved, launching out and slamming his full body weight into the Terminator. It went down easier than he thought, lighter than he'd expected a Triple 8 to be.

He landed on top of it, prepared to jump up and bolt for the nearest exit when he finally saw its face.

"Cameron!" John felt the adrenaline rush out and he visibly relaxed. "Where is he?"

Cameron held up a battered CPU, and John nodded in acknowledgement, still breathing heavily with relief. He was suddenly aware that he was still sprawled out on top of her and he quickly scrambled backwards, face flustered. He leaned back against a crate, watching as Cameron did the same.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"Just outside the warehouse," Cameron stated. "I didn't have any thermite."

John nodded. "There's a box in my backpack. I left it in the jeep."

It was funny really. With most people, the most necessary item to bring on vacation was your toothbrush. With the Connor family it was a package of thermite and a flare. Yet another thing emphasizing the fact that he was not normal.

"I didn't mean it," John said quietly. "When I said you're just a machine. You're not."

"I understand," Cameron replied. "I did not mean what I said either."

John frowned. "What did you say?"

"That I was only acting. I wasn't."

John felt his heart rate speed up. That was what he'd been waiting to hear. Derek had been wrong. His mother had been wrong.

Riley had been right. Cameron did love him. Even when he'd thought it was impossible.

He cleared his throat. "That's good," he said. "Because I wasn't acting either."

She smiled and John felt his heart lift. The day's events seemed to fade into the background. The Terminator's attack, the near death experience, none of it mattered anymore.

Just him and Cameron.

He remembered a time that seemed so long ago, where Sarah had asked him how his day had gone. _I didn't get killed and she didn't kill anybody. I'd say it's a pretty good day._

John smiled to himself.

Pretty good day, indeed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_author's note: Alright, just one more chapter to go! I hope you all enjoyed the action sequence. It's really the first one I've written with a Terminator story. Let me know what you think!_


	9. All's Well That Ends Well

_Author's Notes: Alright, here it is, the finale! Hope you all enjoy!_

_Jameron4Ever - I agree. I was pretty ticked when Riley came into the picture on the show. But now that its revealed that she's there to keep John and Cameron apart, I'm hoping there will be some Jameron to come. But anyway, yes, of course I'll keep writing Jameron!_

_Augustus Paladin Maximus - I actually do that a lot for inspiration. I'll go back and watch the movies again, past episodes, and music videos on YouTube to spark the imagination. Thanks for the suggestion about the "Cyborg" movie. I started watching it and it's funny how similar to Terminator it is! Cyberdyne model? That big blue time bubble? But I think we all agree that Summer Glau makes a better cyborg. :)_

_jbh61987 - I read your oneshot and I didn't think it was too close. I liked it. Write on!_

_LadyKryptonite294 - I've actually never read "the Tempest" but the title fit well. :) As for the bus situation, that's explained briefly in this chapter...and in the sequel. :)_

_Dre4mwe4ver - That was my thought when writing it. I figured Cameron might be light enough to get knocked down with a charge, but I doubt John could have taken out Uncle Bob. :)_

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter Nine:**

**All's Well That Ends Well**

Cameron and John pushed the abandoned jeep to the closest gas station where they refueled it. Neither of them had any money to pay for gas, so they simply drove off and Cameron later pulled into a restaurant parking lot, ripped the license plate off a parked car and switched it with the jeep's.

Despite the trauma and horror he'd experienced a few hours ago, John now felt a sense of peace as they began the long drive home. He was sitting in the passenger seat, beside Cameron, and everything seemed right again. He didn't mind the long ride this time.

"Your friends will get suspicious," Cameron spoke up.

John shrugged impassively. "They'll think it was a random school shooting." He wasn't exactly sure what that conversation would sound like. Would Riley be worried about him? Would Ms. Darbus realize they were gone? Would she be able to drive the bus back to LA County? Had either of them noticed Cameron running up and tackling the shooter?

"They'll wonder where we went," Cameron added.

"So we'll say we were taken by the police to testify against what happened," John said. "Then we had to drive home by ourselves."

Cameron was silent for a moment. "Will they believe that?"

"They'll have to," John replied. There would be no other explanation, none that they would come up with anyhow. But he didn't care about that right now. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

When dinnertime rolled in, John insisted that they stop at a nice restaurant. He was going to make it up to Cameron for his rude behavior that week. He half-expected her to argue that she didn't need to eat anyway and was pleasantly surprised when she agreed.

He found an Olive Garden where they were seated at a table for two. The Italian food reminded him of Cameron's "malfunction" with Riley's order. Now that he thought about it, it really was funny, something he would have appreciated if he hadn't been so angry with her at the time.

As they waited for their meal to arrive, John pursed his lips, trying to think of what to say. "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk this week."

"I'm sorry you've been such a jerk too," Cameron agreed.

John cocked his head, and she smiled. Maybe she really did develop a sense of humor. John sat back, grinning.

"I didn't mean to be," he admitted. "I was just…I was just tired of everyone trying to run my life. I didn't want to push you away."

"We have to prepare you," Cameron stated. "You have to be ready."

John looked away and bit his lip. There'd been a question nagging in the back of his mind ever since he began to grow close to her. "What happens if we stop Judgment Day?"

"What do you mean?"

"What happens if we stop Judgment Day?" John repeated. "If we stop it…" he hesitated, swallowing painfully. "…you won't exist. There will be no machines, no resistance, no time displacement engine." He couldn't imagine it. That small moment of time back at the warehouse, when he thought she'd been killed had been the worst moment of his life. He couldn't go on without her. "I've been thinking a lot about this. Maybe it's not meant to be stopped. Maybe it's supposed to happen; maybe it's meant to happen. If we stop it…if there's no need to send Kyle Reese back…then there's no me…then there's no one to stop Skynet…" he rubbed his forehead. "It's complicated."

"Future John knows that Judgment Day cannot be stopped," Cameron explained. "He just has to ensure that we win. It can't be stopped. It's fate."

"There is no fate but what we make," John muttered, more out of habit.

"This _is_ the fate we make," Cameron responded. John was struck by her use of 'we'. She was talking about humans.

"Miles Dyson couldn't stop it," she continued. "Andy Goode couldn't stop it. Sarah Connor can't stop it."

"I can't stop it," John finished.

"Neither can I," Cameron agreed. "I wasn't sent here to stop it. I was sent here to fight it. To make sure you are equipped…and alive…to fight it. To become John Connor."

"Great Military Leader," he said to himself. "You're right. I don't want to stop it. Even if it's possible, I don't want to stop it. I have to make sure you exist in the future." He shook his head slowly. "I can't imagine facing the apocalypse without you."

Cameron smiled faintly. "I can't imagine facing the apocalypse without you, either."

He smirked. "Without me, you wouldn't be facing it at all," he reminded her.

"We'd still face it. We would just lose."

She was still coupling herself with humans…with _him. _John held her gaze. He was finally ready to accept this. He was in love with a cyborg…and, as impossible as it seemed, she was in love with him too. It didn't matter what his mother or uncle said. It didn't matter what anyone else thought.

Nothing would take her from him.

************

John tried to doze off in the car, but kept getting jolted awake which didn't do wonders for his mood. "Okay, we need to stop somewhere for the night."

"I can keep driving," Cameron stated.

"Well, I need sleep and I can't sleep in this rickety piece of crap," John retorted.

"We have no money."

He scowled. _Never stopped us before_. "So we sneak in. Or you could persuade them to let us in."

"You ordered me not to kill anyone," she reminded him.

"I didn't mean kill. Just threaten."

Cameron cocked her head at him. "You are not thinking clearly. The manager could call the police."

John sighed, rubbing tired eyes. "Right. Well, we have to do something."

Cameron pulled over into the parking lot of a very small motel.

"This is a cheap motel," John muttered, rubbing his tired eyes.

"We have no money," Cameron repeated. "You spent it on chocolates for Riley."

John winced at the reminder. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I should have gotten you some too."

"It's alright. I ate Riley's anyway."

She opened her door and John quickly climbed out as well. "You did?" he asked. "Well…good. They should have been for you anyway."

They quickly came up with a plan to get a room. John walked into the motel and asked the clerk at the desk where the bathroom was. She told him the directions, but didn't leave her post. John strolled down the hallway, following her instructions, then turned around and came back, pretending to look helpless.

"It's not there," he stated.

She looked utterly annoyed, and John tried his best to look pathetic. "Please, I really need to go…"

She finally stepped out from behind the desk and started leading John down the hall toward the bathroom.

Cameron entered the motel and slipped around the desk, searching the computer for an empty room. She took the key card and went down the hall towards the bathroom, passing the receptionist on the way, who still looked a bit irritated. Cameron knocked on the restroom door and John came out, following behind her towards their stolen room.

"Here it is," she said, opening the door. John glanced inside with a curled lip. It wasn't very big, definitely not a Holiday Inn, and neither was it very tidy.

"Um, there's only one bed," he pointed out.

"I don't sleep," Cameron replied.

"Right," he repeated. Cameron closed the door after performing a quick scan of the surroundings.

"Sarah will wonder where we are," she stated.

"Yeah, well, my cell phone is in my suitcase," John replied. "Which is back on the bus. You wanna go get it?"

"I can't," came the reply. "I have to stay here to protect you."

"I know, it was a joke," John replied. He dropped his backpack on the floor and collapsed onto the bed. Cameron posted herself in the center of the room, performing an constant scan of the surroundings.

John closed his eyes and sighed. "Look, I can't sleep with you standing there like a statue."

She studied him for a moment before slowly walking over to the bed and laying down next to him, so close they were touching. His pulse sped up and he swallowed audibly.

"I should apologize," she said.

"Apologize?" John repeated. _She _wasn't the one who had been a complete and total moron. "For what?"

"For my behavior towards Riley," she replied. "You were right."

"What am I right about?"

"I am a security risk. More than Riley. I tried to kill you."

He winced, thinking about when he'd said that. She'd merely been trying to protect him, and he'd thrown in back in her face. "Cameron…I didn't mean that…"

"No, you are correct," she replied. "I will try not to interfere in your life."

John hesitated. "But…I want you to. You've saved my life countless times. You…you still save my life. You've always been there for me, even after I kept pushing you away. And…I never told you how much I appreciate that."

Cameron smiled and John felt his heart warm. "You're welcome."

With her beside him, John slept better than he had in a long time, the first time he'd slept without having a nightmare.

He felt safe.

***********

John had made the decision not to tell his mother about the Triple 8's attack and he certainly wasn't going to tell her about his newfound feelings for his Terminator protector.

As it turned out, they arrived in LA County just after the bus, which Ms. Darbus had driven home alone. John didn't have to make up a story to his mother about why they were late and she never suspected a thing. He dropped his backpack on the floor, and Sarah greeted him with a hug.

"How was Canada?" she asked.

"Riley stole my leather jacket," Cameron announced as she entered the room.

Derek scowled and Sarah raised an eyebrow, looking at John questioningly. "Is Riley…alive?"

John smirked. "Yes. Don't worry. She didn't kill anyone." His mind flashed to the Triple 8. _Well, at least no one who was alive to begin with_.

Sarah smiled, but it was strained. "Well, I'm glad you had fun, because you're never going on another field trip ever again."

Derek grinned. "She worried about you the entire time. Thought some Triple 8 might show up in Stratford or something stupid like that."

John and Cameron exchanged a conspiratorial glance and John forced out a laugh. "Yeah Mom, why would you think something stupid like that?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and Derek chuckled softly. "So, Stratford," he said. "Learn anything new or worthwhile?"

"Yes," Cameron spoke up. "I learned that I had made an error in judgment."

Everyone turned to face her, confused. "What was that?" John asked.

"We shouldn't move to Canada."

_finis_

________________________________________________________________________________________________

_author's note: I won't pretend to know how the multiple timelines work. I know Derek said that he and Jesse came from seperate futures, but, hey, John might not know that yet. _

_As for my "future plans", I have a partial draft of a "Threequel" to this sequel. :) I've also gotten an idea for a Firefly/TSCC crossover fic. But in the meantime, I have two other stories I've already written (Jameron of course) that I'll post next._


	10. Threequel

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to let you all know, if you haven't already found it, that I've started posting the "threequel." It's called "Fair is Foul" and I'll be updating it every Friday. Right now there's three chapters up. I also made a trailer for it on YouTube if anyone wants to check that out (look up River2027). Anyway, I would love for you all to read it, especially if you enjoyed "To Be or Not to Be."

Thanks,

River2027


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